Instead of worrying, the public should instead feel secure now that the law enforcers, with the reinforcement of the Philippine Army, are on alert to keep them safe 24 hours in the light of the declaration of State of Lawlessness by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Gov. Edgar Chatto instead calls on the public to cooperate and support the law enforcers by helping monitor their neighborhood for activities of suspicious individuals.
Duterte declared State of Lawless Violence covering the entire country after the bombing on Roxas Night Market in his home city, Davao, on September 2 which killed 14 and injured 70.
Police units in the entire province conduct 24-hour checkpoints in strategic areas to intercept any person bringing materials for improvised device or firearms, and other prohibited items such as illegal drugs.
Police personnel are also assigned to guard public places where most people converge such as malls, bus terminals, seaports, airports, markets, areas around the churches, and parks.
Stricter security checks at the seaports, airports and bus terminals are implemented, while bomb detection measures are also implemented in the malls.
Like in the past alert status, the police and the army implement the three-tierred strategy where bomb detection measures are added to the usual procedures.
Fire stations here are also on alert status upon the order from the national office of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Tagbilaran City Fire Marshall, Fire Senior Inspector Raul Bustaliño said the BFP which used to be the Integrated National Police Fire Service is one of the agencies under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) tasked in the management of quick response services to fire alarms.
Bustaliño said they are on standby to respond at any time to any emergency situations.
The governor had also instructed the mayors and barangay captains in coastal municipalities to constantly monitor suspicious individuals on board sea vessel gaining entry through the shores.
Chatto also advised the public not to immediately believe any message they received through their cellphones about any bomb threat from unreliable sources and refrain from passing on the message to other people to avoid panic.
While no information on any terrorist threat reaching the police intelligence personnel, proactive measures are in place to intercept any attempt to disturb the peace and order situation of the province.
The quick response teams are also on alert despite the remote possibility of any terrorist attack in the province since unlike in Mindanao, no terrorist group is holding base here.
As to other insurgent groups, Bohol had long been declared insurgent-free and so-called legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines have less made a stir and only contained themselves with peaceful rallies from time to time.
It was yet in 2013 when Bohol had to heighten security to brace against possible spill over of armed clash when Zamboanga became the battleground between the MNLF and government troops where hundreds were killed and wounded from the firefight and bombings.
It was also then that prospective tourists hesitated to proceed with their planned vacation here, considering the proximity of Bohol to Mindanao.
It was also in September 2013 when two theaters in Davao were bombed.