March 29, 2024
ENSURING ATHLETES’ SAFETY — Police Regional Office-Cordillera Director B/Gen. Dave Peredo, Jr. made the rounds in various billeting areas of delegations for the recently held Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association Meet 2023. Peredo made sure the duty personnel were courteous to the athletes, delegates, and visitors while ensuring peace and order in the billeting areas. — PRO-Cor photo

The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) reported the city was peaceful and orderly after it hosted crowd-drawing events recently.

Baguio City hosted the three-day Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Meet 2023 and Regional Academic Festival, Ifugao Day celebration, and the 121st Labor Day Job Fair from April 27 to May 1.

BCPO Information Officer Angeline Dongpaen said the police force first raised their alert status and conducted Regional Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (Sacleo) from April 24 to 30 to tighten and strengthen security and ensure the overall safety of more than 5,000 athletes from the Cordillera.

Dongpaen said about P6.7 million worth of illegal drugs was seized and 25 lawbreakers were arrested by the BCPO in the 35 police operations conducted during the week-long Sacleo, which commenced midnight of April 24.

A total of 370 BCPO personnel and volunteer groups were efficiently deployed in all the venues of the sporting events and billeting areas to maintain peace and order, manage vehicular and pedestrian traffic direction, route, parking, and venue security from April 29 to May 1.

Additionally, 82 personnel from the region’s provincial police offices provided onsite security at the billeting areas of their respective Caraa delegates as BCPO augmentation during the event. Explosive Ordnance Detection (EOD)/K9 conducted inspections at the venues.

BCPO ensured proper coordination with other government agencies and groups to provide medical assistance to the delegates.

“BCPO recorded a protest action on May 1 but ended up without any untoward incident,” Dongpaen reported. – Jessa Mardy P. Samidan