Metro Manila cops to go on full alert starting April 13

The police in Metro Manila will go on full alert starting on April 13 to ensure peace and order during the Holy Week exodus and break. Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said all leaves of police personnel will be canceled for the moment, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported Tuesday. Bartolome said some 5,000 personnel will be available for deployment starting on Wednesday. In the meantime, he deployed some 350 bus marshals and motorized anti-street crime operatives to maintain peace and order in the streets. Metro Manila police also inspected bus terminals to make sure the buses are safe and roadworthy.

Inspections at seaports Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started implementing tighter inspections at seaports to prevent maritime accidents as province-bound Filipinos began to crowd seaports for their Holy Week vacation. In Manila, shipping companies noted a 50-percent hike in the number of passengers flocking to seaports to go to provinces, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported. However, the report quoted Gian Carlo Galvez, a spokesman for Negros Navigation, as saying they expect the bulk of vacationers to show up at seaports starting this weekend. The PCG also reiterated its order to its units nationwide to remain on alert, especially during the Lenten exodus and the rest of the summer season. On Monday, PCG authorities intercepted air guns, bladed weapons and several other deadly weapons from passengers heading for the provinces to spend the Holy Week vacation. The PCG said the weapons were found despite its repeated advisories to passengers not to bring such items. Many of the items, including the air gun, were found during an x-ray scan of passengers’ baggage at the terminals of shipping firms, the report said. – VVP, GMA News