OFFICIALS from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Department of Education, and Commission on Higher Education (Ched) met with Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Councilor Paul Labra last week to discuss the implementation of school security measures following the shooting incident in Tacloban City that killed three students and wounded nearly 20 others.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rodulf Oriol, deputy city director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office, said one of their plans is to conduct simulation exercises featuring scenarios similar to what happened in Tacloban.
This aims to assess how prepared police officers, school officials, teachers, parents, and most importantly students are in the event of a shooting incident inside a school.
Through the training, students will be taught what to do first in order to avoid becoming victims of crime.
The drill will also measure how police respond to similar situations such as the Tacloban incident.
“Para makita nato ang atung coordination, ang police response aron mas masiguro nato nga dili mahitabo diri sa syudad sa Cebu ang nahitabo sa atung silingan nga probinsya,” Oriol said.
(This is to see our coordination and police response so that we can ensure that what happened in our neighboring province will not happen here in Cebu City.)
Oriol added that police hotlines have already been distributed to all public and private schools and can be used in case of emergencies inside campuses.
Through these hotlines, authorities will be able to determine how effective police response is and how many minutes it takes for responders to arrive.
During the drill, students will hear simulated gunfire, and teachers are expected to ensure that students do not panic.
Teachers will also be trained to immediately lock classroom doors while waiting for responding police units.
Aside from the police, personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and other government agencies will also take part in the response.
The CCPO has already identified possible schools that will undergo the simulation exercise, but these will not be disclosed for now.
Aside from this, school security has been further strengthened through bag inspections of students.
Oriol also said the Cebu City Government will distribute metal detectors to security personnel in every school campus.
This aims to further enhance security and help detect if students are carrying weapons in their bags. (AYB)
