ILOILO – With the opening of classes, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has ramped up its security presence in public secondary schools across the province — but the initiative is facing protocol gaps that police say need urgent attention from the Department of Education (DepEd).
Police officers are now deployed during peak hours — arrival in the morning and dismissal at noon and in the afternoon — to deter petty crimes and ensure immediate response to any incident.
Each school gets a minimum of two uniformed officers stationed at the entrance, according to IPPO spokesperson Police Major Rolando Araño.
“The number of personnel may increase depending on the local situation and assessment of each police station,” Araño said.
To bolster visibility, IPPO is working with barangay tanods and other community force multipliers.
Police have also started holding short lectures during Monday morning flag ceremonies on topics including anti-bullying, personal safety, crime prevention, and drug awareness.
However, Araño flagged unresolved issues in police-school coordination, particularly in handling matters involving students.
“There are certain guidelines and laws that protect the rights of children. If we don’t resolve these issues properly, we might end up violating them as law enforcers,” he cautioned, citing pending clarifications from the Schools Division of Iloilo.
Police Colonel Roland Bulalacao, deputy regional director for operations of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) and concurrent officer-in-charge of IPPO, underscored the importance of community involvement in school security.
“These activities underscore our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of learners and teachers here in Iloilo province, alongside our school authorities,” Bulalacao said. “We also appeal to all parents: please closely supervise and monitor your children’s activities, and always guide them in the right direction.”
IPPO said additional security measures are being explored but will hinge on further coordination with DepEd and other concerned agencies./PN
