By NITZ ARANCONCorrespondent
POLICE yesterday moved to “sanitize” Divisoria even as it would tighten security at Divisoria where Mayor Oscar Moreno is set to deliver his annual report to the city.
Senior Supt. Robert Roy Bahian, city police director, ordered the deployment of special police units around Kiosko Kagawasan in Divisoria. The units include a group of police bomb experts with highly trained bomb-sniffing dogs, said city police spokesman Chief Insp. Mardy Hortillosa.
Hortillosa said security measures around Divisoria would be stepped up at least four hours before Moreno delivers his annual report at around 8 am.
He said authorities would close parts of Don Apolinar Velez Street, Tiano Street, Rizal Street, Tirso Neri Street and RN Abejuela Street, among others, to vehicular traffic.
The annual event, in time for the city’s Charter Day celebration, is expected to draw a huge crowd that includes top government line agency officials, judges, prosecutors, military and police officials, barangay leaders, business executives, and local government officials and workers.
Hortillosa said the police would also strategically position themselves on buildings in the Divisoria area so they could have a better view of the crowd, and officers in civilian clothes would mingle with people.
“Kon gikinahanglan, atong rekisahon ang mga tawo nga mosulod sa Divisoria para wala gyoy makalusot nga mga bad elements. Pero case-to-case basis lang,” Hortillosa said.
He said Camp Alagar and Camp Evangelista were helping in today’s security operations.
Meanwhile, RTA chief Nonito Oclarit said he was expecting a vehicular traffic build-up this morning because of the Charter Day activities.
Engr. Oclarit said the RTA would implement a temporary reouting scheme so it could better manage the traffic flow in Divisoria and nearby areas.
He said the rerouting would affect public jeepneys from Balulang, Macabalan, Patag, Kauswagan, Bayabas, Bonbon, Lapasan, Gusa and Bugo.
“We expect nga dunay heavy build-up sa traffic before and during sa CMAR (City Mayor’s Annual Report) ni Mayor Moreno, labi na sa mga nearby areas, kay ato man lagi nga i-close ang portion sa pipila ka mga major streets,” Oclarit said.