By Gideon C. Corgue
City police director Genn Macario Dulawan said in
an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that police men have
been deployed in coastal and urban barangays following the City Peace and Order
Council (CPOC) meeting called by its chairman, Mayor Romeo Pulmones Monday
afternoon.
Dulawan also disclosed that checkpoints were
already set up in all entry and exit points of the city with regular roving
patrol.
The police chief said that prior to the CPOC
meeting an emergency conference was called by the newly installed police
provincial director Sr. Supt. Sofronio Elcadre with municipal police chiefs to
discuss security plans for the entire province.
The entire police force was put on heightened
alert to prevent the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to slip into city.
As to the text message being circulated stating
“The MNLF will attack Pagadian City on Tuesday evening, harm its residents,
burn their houses, and place bombs in urban barangays,” Dulawan said “the PNP validated
it and found it to be false.”
Dulawan, however, appealed to the residents to
remain calm and be extra vigilant.
“If they would notice suspicious armed men in
their barangays they should call these hotline numbers: 09499533159- PCPO & 09999973709-ZSPPO,”
Dulawan urged.
Meanwhile, the chief of police lauded barangay
officials for quickly informing the police about the presence of unidentified
men who were later identified as media practitioners from Manila who came to
cover the standoff wrought by MNLF-Misuari faction in Zamboanga City. (PIA9)
