DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/13 April) — The city will beef up security along roads to and from Davao del Norte for the duration of the 2015 Palarong Pambansa, which will be held in Tagum City in May, City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said.
Duterte said the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) will meet to iron out the security arrangements for the Palaro.
Speaking at Sunday’s episode of Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa, Duterte said that initial preparations by Davao del Norte have been sufficient, except for the final details of the security.
The security preparations would involve the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“I already talked with Governor Rodolfo del Rosario,” Duterte said. “We talked about the physical features of the complex there where the games would be held. Sabi niya, OK na except for these security matters.”
Duterte said del Rosario requested him for a meeting with the security sector in Region XI.
“I will go to Tagum and preside over a meeting as RPOC chair to address security concerns,” Duterte said.
The mayor said the city should anticipate the bulk of the athletes from all over the Philippines to come to Davao del Norte through Davao City which hosts the airport that is nearest to the venue of the games.
He said there would be “warm bodies” along the way from the city to Tagum during the games.
“I would insist on checkpoints approaching and leaving north or south sa Tagum, we will install the security measures for the duration of the Palarong Pambansa,” he said.
In January, the Department of Education announced that Tagum City was chosen to host this year’s games, beating five other bidders namely, Dipolog City, Pagadian City, Koronadal City, Lanao del Norte and Caraga region.
The DepEd and the Philippine Sports Commission had inspected the venues for the games and checked if there were enough billeting areas for the athletes.
The 2015 Palarong Pambansa, according to the DepEd, will be the first national games to be held under the Palarong Pambansa Law (RA 10588), signed last year.
The law creates the Palarong Pambansa Board comprising officials from DepEd, PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Department of Interior and Local Government. (MindaNews)