QCPD, QC gov't to hold school active shooter drills
Quezon City Police District and the Quezon City government will hold school active shooter and emergency drills under the Metro Manila Safer Cities program, training students to respond to shootings, stabbings, bomb threats and riots while boosting campus security and trust in police.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Brig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio on Thursday said the QCPD and the Quezon City government are set to conduct simulation drills to train students on how to respond to security threats, including active shooter incidents.
Silvio said the initiative aims to strengthen safety and security in schools and forms part of the implementation of the Metro Manila Safer Cities program of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
He said the dry run is tentatively scheduled for Friday and will cover scenarios involving active shootings, stabbing incidents, bomb threats, and riots.
"Since yung inimplement natin yung Safer Metro Manila, ang instruction ng ating SILG na one police officer and one barangay tanod ang magbabantay sa schools natin, mag-start yung klase hanggang matapos... then meron tayong ginawang student's security protocol in coordination with the LGU," Silvio said.
According to Silvio, the drills are intended to train students on how to react and protect themselves during emergency situations.
"Gusto kasi ni Mayor Joy Belmonte na ma-train talaga yung mga estudyante. I think meron kaming dry run by Friday. Apat na scenario 'yun, parang reaction natin sa earthquake drill na dapat ganun din sa mga estudyante. Alam nila kung ano ang gagawin in case meron active shooter, stabbing incident, bomb threat, at riot inside the classrooms kasi yung apat na scenarios na 'yun ginawan natin ng audio-visual presentation para maipakita sa estudyante," he added.
The QCPD has intensified security measures in schools following attacks on learning institutions, including a shooting incident at a school in Tacloban City that left three students dead and 20 others injured.
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police commanders to coordinate with local Department of Education (DepEd) offices and school authorities from both public and private schools to ensure police presence during the conduct of the drills.
Nartatez said the initiative is also intended to strengthen students' trust and confidence in the police while giving them peace of mind inside school campuses.
He added that the PNP will continue providing the necessary support systems to prevent a repeat of incidents similar to the Tacloban school shooting, the country's first recorded school gun attack.
Aside from regular police visibility and beat patrols around schools, the PNP also supports guidance counseling programs and the establishment of anti-bullying desks through its Women and Children Protection Desk personnel.
Nartatez likewise instructed police commanders to coordinate with school officials on the possible deployment of police officers during Monday flag-raising ceremonies, similar to a practice he initiated when he was a young chief of police.
"The children are the future of this country and, as such, it is our mandate, it is our obligation to protect them and to make them feel safe not only in their homes and on the streets, but also in their schools," Nartatez said.