Police intensify security amid Omicron, holidays

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office is beefing up security measures on the heels of the threat of new COVID variant Omicron and ahead of the upcoming holiday season.

Police officials recently met with establishment owners to remind them of the need to continuously observe the safety and health protocols.

Lt. Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of CCPO, said that on November 30 alone, at least 148 violators of the minimum health standard protocols were arrested by the CCPO during its monitoring and security enforcement of protocols around the city.

“Sige gihapon ta og tuyok every night and pirmi gihapon padayon atong strict implementation even though ubos na kaayo atoang positive cases,” said Parrilla.

In line with this, Parilla said they will be readjusting their security enforcement plan due to the threat of the Omicron COVID variant in the other countries.

“So ato na sad ni gihinay-hinay og pahimangno sa atoang mga katawhan,” said Parilla.

Parilla, however, admitted that even up to this day, some people still refuse to wear face masks, forcing police personnel to apprehend them.

Parilla said they are currently making slight changes in their security enforcement through the Accommodation Establishment and Security Safety Coordinating Council in coordination with all security officers of different hotels and malls.

During the meeting, safety measures were raised considering the coming of Christmas and New Year holidays.

“So dili lang ang hulga sa COVID atong atubangon, kung dili ang safety sab sa atong katawhan, and considering na open sab ta nga daghan na sab ang mosulod sa nga malls and hotels,” said Parilla.

Among the security adjustments is the realignment of security deployment towards business establishments as police anticipate crowd volume to increase in these areas, particularly during the afternoon.

Parilla added that they have sufficient police personnel to deploy. Also, the duty hours have already been stretched or extended.

The CCPO, he said, no longer allow leaves among its personnel to fully implement these intensified security measures. — JMD (FREEMAN)