AFP sends soldiers for Dinagyang celeb security
Two platoons of Army troopers will take a break from operations and offensives in the mountains following a detail order from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hierarchy.
With the mission to help secure the Dinagyang Festival and provide back-up to members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here, the Army soldiers will be stationed in selected festival sites throughout Iloilo City. The Army's security detail points will be in areas deemed most crowded and potential "trouble-zones" alongside sites where Very Important Persons (VIPs) are expected to stay.
As added assistance, there will also be bomb and drug-sniffing K-9 dogs from AFP trained-units while a Philippine Air Force helicopter will be on standby for emergency situation or medical evacuation by air.
The latest festival peace and order contingency measure was confirmed by Captain Lowen Gil Marquez, commanding officer of the AFP's 3rd Civil Relations Group. This, as Captain Marquez downplayed any purported threats by saboteurs saying the AFP alongside the PNP have since intensified its intelligence and security operations.
Thousands of foreign and local guests are expected to flock Iloilo City this weekend with all of the hotels and pension houses fully-booked. Such on top of the confirmed guests of the city government coming from national government agencies and members of the diplomatic community. Country's movie stars and artists are also part of the expected guests.
"A security nightmare," a TNT source privy of the over-all peace and order plans said. "We cannot discount the possibility that there are really people out there whose mission is to destabilize everything and use the occasion for that. But we are ready. The city is ready."
City police director, Sr. Supt. Wesley Barayuga formed Task Group Dinagyang to handle the peace and order situation during the Dinagyang highlights this Saturday and Sunday.
He said that at least 6,000 personnel will be ensuring that the celebration would be safe, especially for the revelers. Of these, 700 are from the Philippine National Police, and the rest are force multipliers composed of barangay tanods, police interns, civic radio groups, and National Service Training Program (NSTP) and Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC).
The number is enough to maintain the peace and order during the festival.
They will not only be on the lookout for criminal elements but also to remind the people who appear to be lax with their security, he said.
Our aim here is to prevent crimes from happening, and what is important is police visibility, Barayuga stressed.
Personnel were also assigned to secure the VIPs.
He has put up three police action centers in the City Proper area, complete with telephone lines and first aid services. Roving teams of police officers will be patrolling. Security personnel will be conducting random frisking, Barayuga said.
Container vans will also be placed in various areas to serve as detention centers for rowdy revelers.
The mere sight of the improvised detention is a deterrent to the people, he said.