BORACAY – Police have not monitored imminent threats from terrorists in this closed island resort but they stepped up their security operations.
Western Visayas is currently under a “Low Terrorism Threat Level,” said Superintendent Evelio Degay, executive officer for operations of the Metro Boracay Police Task Force.
Degay said the region remains “peaceful and manageable” despite the existence of communist groups in Panay and Negros islands.
“There is no information of any terrorist imminent plan, but areas of Boracay, [mainland] Malay and Buruanga are placed under Moderate Terrorism Threat Level,” Degay stressed during their latest security assessment.
Before and after Boracay was closed off to tourists beginning April 26, police officers focused on maintaining public order.
But two months into the shutdown, Degay said his personnel have shifted focus on anticrime operations.
“Karamihan ng mga kapulisan ay na-deploy for public order – may mga shield and baton. Sa ngayon, nag-shift na tayo sa anti-criminality operations. Marami tayong deployment ng pulis sa gabi,” Degay added. “We want to ensure that no major incidents would happen during the period of rehabilitation.”
This is for the “peaceful, fast and orderly delivery of social services,” he stressed.
From April 26 to May 30, police recorded 11 crimes – including theft and robbery – in Boracay. In the whole month of June, they recorded only four.
During the two-month period, the police also arrested 23 persons on board 12 motorboats for violation of the one-entry, one-exit policy in the island.
The Boracay police task force also set up three community police assistance centers in three villages in the island – Balabag, Yapak and Manoc-manoc.
Force multipliers were also mobilized and crime mapping, or identification of crime hotspot areas in Boracay, was conducted. (With a report from Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
