Col. Aden Aden Lagradante, General Santos City police director. (PNA file photo)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Authorities here have tightened security measures following the series of bomb attacks in Cotabato City and the provinces of North Cotabato and Maguindanao on Sunday evening that left more than 20 people wounded.
Col. Aden Lagradante, city police director, said Monday they implemented “enhanced security measures” in the entire city to avert the occurrence of similar incidents, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations in the area.
Lagradante said the city is currently under Alert Level 3 due to the area’s security situation and the prevailing martial law in Mindanao.
He said they have assigned additional police teams to patrol various areas and set up random checkpoints, on top of the permanent checkpoints established in the city’s four main entry and exit points.
The Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan also maintains separate checkpoints in four main highways leading to the city.
Lagradante said motorists should expect longer queues at the checkpoints as he directed their personnel to conduct more thorough searches of all vehicles entering the city proper.
“I am appealing for understanding as we’re only after everybody’s safety,” he said in an interview with reporters.
The police official said they have beefed up the security in shopping malls, churches, transport terminals, markets and other public places.
Lagradante said they have not received any direct security threat so far but added that they are not taking lightly the situation in the neighboring areas.
“Rest assured that the security situation in the city is under control and we are doing everything to maintain that,” he added. (PNA)
