Now on heightened alert in time for the Holy Week, police stations in Bohol make sure at least half of their personnel stay at their post to make ensure security in their areas of responsibility.

Police Superintendent Nicomedes Olaivar, who heads the operations branch of the Bohol Police Provincial Office, said that Provincial Director Police Dennis Agustin, stays on top of the situation for Oplan Semana Santa.

Olaivar said teams will be deployed to man checkpoints in different areas of the province.

Police personnel will also secure all areas of public convergence especially the bus terminals, seaports and the airport, considering the expected increase in the influx of passengers going home to their hometowns and those arriving from outside the province to spend their Holy Week vacation here.

Olaivar also said barangay tanods are also tapped to assist the municipal police teams to immediately respond to any emergency situation.

All chiefs of police also received a reminder from the PNP-national to “maintain security at vital installations, economic key points and places of convergence”.

Other places of convergence where help desks are set up are the malls, churches and even the beaches.

Police visibility is also heightened to serve as deterrence to criminal activities.

Members of the Philippine Army had been on red alert since yesterday noon in time of the 46th founding anniversary of the communist New People’s Army today, Palm Sunday.

The provincial government’s quick response team, Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response (TaRSIER 117), is also on blue alert, along with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), since last Friday in preparation for the Holy Week until April 6.

In the blue alert, at least half of the personnel of PDRRMC are on standby to respond to any emergency situation.

The order coming from the Philippine National Police (PNP)-national headquarter placed Regions 1 to 5 (Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bicol) in Luzon; and Regions 6 (Western Visayas) 7 (Central Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas) in heightened alert, but it will be up to the regional directors when to elevate the alert status based on their assessment of the situations in their areas.

PNP, however, continues the full alert status in the six regional offices in Mindanao, because of “ prevailing security situation in those areas.”

In areas under full alert status, all police personnel “are at their posts at any time” for “law enforcement and public safety”.