The Police Regional Office-Bicol (PRO5) deployed on Monday a total of 5,579 police officers to ensure safety near some 3,856 schools in the region under “Oplan Ligtas Balik Eskwela” for school year 2022-2023.

Maj. Malu Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said in an interview the initiative is in line with the order of PRO-5 regional director Brig. Gen. Rudolph Dimas to increase police presence in the region that will ensure the safety of students as limited face-to-face classes resumed after more than two years.

“The safety and orderliness of the opening of classes is our main concern. We also want to ensure the readiness of our troops to address any circumstances that may happen and respond the same,” Calubaquib said.

She said PRO-5 established Police Assistance Desks (PADs) near the entrances of school campuses which are supervised by 3,146 police while 618 were assigned to conduct mobile patrol and 664 as the beat patrollers.

“Continuous monitoring on the ground was undertaken and additionally 110 police officers were positioned at the terminals; 282 as coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patrollers; 462 were utilized to manage the traffic and other 239 to render other security efforts,” she said.

Calubaquib said Dimas likewise directed the strict implementation of health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We shall execute the necessary efforts to guarantee our people an orderly start of the face-to-face classes. We also vow to do our part stringently. Our duty is not only delimited in our anti-criminality campaigns but also to foil the spread of the pandemic,” Dimas said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education-Bicol (DepEd-5) reported on Monday that over 1.5 million basic education students have gone back to school. (PNA)