GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Authorities have implemented a city-wide curfew and "no ID (identification card), no entry" policy in all main entry points in line with the heightened security alert here, following the bomb attack before noon Sunday that injured eight people.
The move was approved on Wednesday by the city's crisis management committee, which earlier placed the entire area under "Alert Level 4" as a result of the explosion in front of the Bonita Lying-In Clinic on the Makar junction of the national highway in Barangay Apopong.
Chief Supt. Eliseo Rasco, regional director of the Police Regional Office-12, said they recommended the "enhanced security measures" in a meeting with city officials led by Mayor Ronnel Rivera, who heads the crisis committee, and the city's 26 barangay chairs.
The security meeting was joined by top officers of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan and the 1002nd Brigade.
"He (Rivera) approved our recommendation for immediate implementation," he said in a press conference at the city hall on Wednesday afternoon.
The curfew was set from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. in the city's central business district and 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. in other areas.
As agreed by the barangay chairs, Rivera said it would be imposed on all residents and visitors of the city.
He said barangay peacekeeping teams were tasked to implement the curfew in their communities.
The mayor said they have yet to determine the bounds of the city's central business district but said they are planning to expand it to growth centers in barangays outside the downtown area.
Rivera clarified that they will not close down business establishments that are operating on a 24-hour basis but will be "encouraged to cooperate" in the observance of the curfew.
"We have no intention to detain or arrest the violators. Our barangay enforcers will process and usher home the validated residents but questionable personalities will be brought to the nearest police station," he said.
Meanwhile, Rasco said the "no ID, no entry" was set in all police and Army checkpoints in the four main entry points of the city.
All motorists and commuters are required to present "government-issued" ID cards to security personnel manning the checkpoints, he said.
The police official said those who would not be able to present any valid ID will be subjected to questioning by an assigned onsite investigator.
"All those who have no valid government-issued IDs will not be allowed to enter the city," he said.
To complement these measures, Rasco said they will implement a "block-to-block buddy system" for city police personnel and augmentation units.
He said uniformed police officers will regularly patrol the main streets of the city to maximize their visibility. (PNA)
