Bus marshals, biking volunteers among QCPD forces on Undas

Police marshals will be deployed in Quezon City to be on the lookout for provincial bus drivers who may be drunk or high on drugs when they serve thousands of passengers heading out of the capital for the long weekend that starts on All Saints’ Day.

Around 3,000 civilian volunteers on motorbikes will also serve as the lawmen’s extra eyes and ears as residents flock to the cemeteries and leave their homes vulnerable to robbers.

These are among the measures being undertaken by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) as it goes on full alert for Undas, according to its director, Chief Supt. Richard Albano.

“Some of our police personnel will be patrolling the eight public and private cemeteries and columbaria in the city, but we would be relying more on our force multipliers,” he said.

Albano was referring to the QCPD’s civilian anticrime partners on motorbikes, who he said number at least 3,000.

These volunteers would be easy to spot as they would be wearing vests issued by the QCPD, with the motorbikes’ license numbers printed on them, he said.

At least 2,000 QCPD members will also be deployed in subdivisions, Albano added.

But special attention will also be given to bus terminals, particularly in the Cubao area, where plainclothesmen will not only stand guard against criminals but also observe the behavior of bus drivers for signs of drug use or intoxication, the official said.