Police Regional Office (PRO-7) policemen
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A total of 2,000 police officers from the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) are set to be deployed to secure the fast-approaching Palarong Pambansa, which will be held on July 6-17, 2024.
This number, however, is likely to change as authorities are still in the process of finalizing the number of additional venues and billeting areas for the national sports event.
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Three weeks before the opening of Palarong Pambansa 2024, law enforcers remain in close coordination with the concerned offices to ensure a strong security plan.
“We are in close coordination with DepED and the local government units of Cebu City and other LGUs nga mag-host. Because we understand, sa mga meetings nga gi-conduct, nga naay mga venues pud in areas other than Cebu City,” said PRO-7 spokesperson, Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare.
(We are in close coordination with DepEd and the local government units of Cebu City and other LGUs that will host the games. Because we understand, from the meetings that were conducted, that there will be venues in areas other than Cebu City.)
“But we have received information that may mga (there are) additional venues. This is still a work in progress up until we can finalize all the venues, and, of course, the billeting areas,” he added.
As of this writing, PRO-7 has recorded a total of 25 billeting quarters across Cebu, where they will be focusing their manpower along with the venues.
Aside from the venues where the competitions will take place, police will also be keeping a close eye on the many tourist spots in Cebu.
Pelare said that this was because they could not discount the possibility that the families of the athletes and other tourists might take this time to visit famous spots in the province.
“We expect that beaches, other areas of convergence, tourism sites, will also be flooded with mga bisita nato. So usa sad ni sa atong gibantayan (our visitors. So that is one of the things that we will be monitoring),” he said.
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Moreover, Pelare shared that they had taken into consideration the fact that there would be other major events scheduled to take place in the province at around the same time as the Palarong Pambansa.
The Department of Education’s National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) will be held in Carcar City on July 8-12.
In addition, Naga City will be the host for the National Festival of Talents on July 9-12.
In preparation for all of these events, Pelare said that they would be looking at all possible security issues and coming up with measures to prevent them.
Aside from small crimes, however, there are no major threats that could potentially disrupt the events that will be attended by thousands of individuals.
“As far as threats are concerned, wala tay nakita sa atong intelligence community nga posibleng maka-disrupt sa atoang mga incoming activities. But we cannot discount petty crimes like simple snatching, thieveries, or even other security issues like traffic congestion etc. And this will be responded to by the police on the ground,” said Pelare.
(As far as threats are concerned, our intelligence community see no possible threats that can disrupt our incoming activities. But we cannot discount petty crimes like simple snatching, thievery or even other security issues like traffic congestion etc. And this will be responded to by the police on the ground.)
He assured the public that they would be ready and that they would have already coordinated the security coverage with all the stakeholders.
“What we can assure is that your PRO-7 will exhaust all available resources to make sure that itong (this) Palarong Pambansa ay magiging (will be) safe and secured. There was a specific instruction from the regional director, Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, na lahat ng avenues, lahat ng (all avenues, all) security preparations should be done as early as now para (so that) we can adjust if ever there will be upcoming developments,” he said.