Vessel lay-ups alarmed police in Malalag Port

The 1104th Provincial Mobile Group has conducted daily sea-borne patrol along coastal areas of Davao del Sur, to ensure that cargo vessels placed on lay-ups at the seaport here remain safe.

Since January, a total of 31 vessels in which 29 of them was owned by a large shipping companies who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The idle cargo vessels were docked, due to a slump in the demand for cargo during the current recession.


Supt. Alberto Lupaz, 1104th Group Director, Wednesday told the Inquirer, said he wanted to personally check on the status of the vessels as more people were being drawn into the port to see the enormous size of the ships, while the vessels are not exempted to terror threats in Mindanao Island.

Lupaz said they are expecting more lay-ups at the port in the coming days, as the global financial crisis worsens.



He said considering the port is an open-sea they would like to do the sea-borne patrol 24/7 to ensure the safety of the vessels.

Police here no individuals could climb on the ship except for the company detailed security guard who was aboard inside.

Senior Supt. Ronald Dela Rosa, OIC- provincial police director, said they considered the province as the second class for terror attacks considering it was the center and dropping point of people coming from South and Central Mindanao.

Dela Rosa also asked the chief of police to dedicate their service not only they were being paid by the government but to consider they were also protecting the lives of their relatives.



“We must always consider that we are not only protecting public lives, but what if our own families or a relative is the next bombing victims,” he said.




He ordered not only public buses and jeepneys should be check but to include all government and public vehicles passing along the entrance and exit points of the province.