THE national police was placed on heightened alert as early as Sunday to ensure that the opening of classes in public schools nationwide would be peaceful and orderly.
Leaves were cancelled and all available policemen were tasked to help secure schools and other public places on Monday.
But in at least three schools in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City, not even one policeman was present when the acting regional police chief, Senior Supt. Orlando Ualat, inspected the area from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Ualat has ordered the precinct commanders covering the areas of the Subangdaku Elementary School in Mandaue and Ibo Elementary School and the City Central School in Lapu-Lapu.
He said policemen who were supposed to secure the areas would face administrative charges for defying the heightened alert order.
Senior Insp. Miguel Andeza, chief of the Subangdaku precinct, said the PRO-7 chief may have had arrived earlier than his men’s duty time that’s why he did not see any uniformed policeman.