• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will meet with public and private school administrators to organize active shooter drills aimed at educating students and faculty members on emergency safety protocols.
BCPO director, P/Col. Eugene Rebadomia said June 24 that the planned drills will mirror the structure of standard fire, earthquake, and bomb drills, with focus on immediate contingency planning and safety measures.
“The main purpose is to educate the public and the students on what they should do if they hear gunshots, and what the contingency planning is, in case there are active shooters,” Rebadomia explained.
The initiative follows a school shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte, that killed three students and injured 20 others, which authorities are treating as a wake-up call on the importance of campus security.
He urged the schools to take the training seriously, noting that such emergencies can happen in any public space, not just inside campuses.
Beyond the tactical drills, Rebadomia plans to introduce anti-bullying seminars and initiate a school visitation program to break down long-standing barriers between youth and law enforcement.
While uniformed personnel are traditionally restricted from entering school grounds, the police chief hopes to reshape public perception.
“We are used to using the police to scare children, and up to this time, that same stigma exists,” Rebadomia said.
He said that both Mayor Greg Gasataya and Bacolod Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez have ordered the strict monitoring of student safety to prevent a similar shooting incident from happening in the city.
Various schools in Bacolod currently rely on security guards using metal detectors and bag inspections to maintain order, and guard against unauthorized items getting smuggled into campuses.
Rebadomia reminded school officials that immediate police assistance is available at any time by dialing 911, and added that the BCPO is ready to conduct visibility patrols around campuses if permitted by school heads. | TMD
