Davao City acquires scanners, X-rays for checkpoints

DAVAO CITY  -- All passengers entering the city will now be greeted with body X-ray machines and baggage scanners after the city government acquired the equipment for Task Force Davao to further boost security measures.

Four of the baggage scanners and body X-ray machines were initially installed during the Holy Week, said Maj. Reynaldo Geslaga, detachment commander of Task Force Davao in Sirawan, on Tuesday.

Geslaga said two of the four sets of scanners were placed at the  Sirawan checkpoint while the other two sets were placed in Barangay Lacson and Lasang checkpoints. He said the four scanners and walkthrough machines cost more or less PHP10 million.

Geslaga said they also plan to put scanning equipment at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal.

Geslaga said the installation of the equipment will make the inspections faster and easier.

“It is better since if the passengers will place their baggage it will just easily be checked with the machines,” he explained. “It is now less hassle (during inspections).”

Geslaga said all baggage items must go through the scanner, even food items such as sacks of rice. For private vehicle inspections, he said, troops will maintain the “plain view doctrine”.

Meanwhile, the two other sets of machines for Barangay Lacson in Calinan and Licanan in Bunawan district checkpoints have been installed but are not yet operational. (PNA)