Davao City on high alert, Ms Earth delegates arrive

Davao City is placed under high alert status following the scheduled arrival of the candidates for this year's Miss Earth 2016 tomorrow.

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Senior Supt. Michael John F. Dubria said the city was also placed under the status especially that the Asean summit will be held here next year.

"Permi man ta hightened alert diri sa Davao. Next year kita pod ang host sa Asean, mao nang grabe atong preparasyon (We are always on high alert status here in the city. Next year, we will also be hosting the Asean summit that is why we are doing our utmost preparation)," Dubria said in an ambush interview.

DCPO has alerted its forces and added 57 augmentation forces who are composed of Police Officer 1 coming from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) of the Police Regional Office (PRO) Davao Region on Monday.

"We are reminding our police officers to be always alert," Dubria said in the vernacular.

The Sasa police station has already conducted a clearing operation on the streets where the candidates' convoy is set to pass as they will head from the Sasa Ferry to cross to the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) for their photo shoot.

The Maritime Police, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Igacos Police under the Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office have also been alerted

to monitor the sea and other places which the candidates are set to visit for the event.

Miss Earth organizers, meanwhile, are confident that the candidates and all the others are secure in the area despite the previous incident where three foreigners and a Filipina were abducted by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf last September 2015. JEEPY P. COMPIO