For a safer and more peaceful observance of Holy Week, the Philippine National Police has renewed its call to the public to avoid posting updates of their whereabouts for their safety particularly when no one is left at home.
By refraining from posting real-time updates, potential crimes such as robbery or akyat-bahay can be prevented as criminals often take advantage of the information pried from social media posts. The police said that it can also avoid the tik-tik or spying used to target and monitor homeowners’ movements and schedules.
Although there are a few cases of akyat-bahay or robbery occurrences recorded in the province of Laguna, the public is still encouraged to adhere to preventive measures for an orderly observance of Holy Week.
According to Laguna Police Provincial Director Col. Gauvin Mel Unos, it is better to leave the house to someone you can trust for the security of properties and prompt emergency response.
“Reported thefts in Laguna are not as numerous, so let us take care of ourselves, our properties, especially our homes. Make sure that when we leave our homes for vacation, it is securely locked and as mentioned, let’s not post social media updates wherever we are,” Unos said.
If able, Laguna PNP advised the public to install alarms, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) which serve as effective deterrents against akyat-bahay incidents.
For the observance of Holy Week, more than 700 police officers will be deployed in different parts of the province to ensure public and tourist’ safety, particularly in various churches, tourist spots, and roads.
Unos added: “One of our preparations involves establishment of checkpoints, especially at our borders, where in case of any accidents or crimes within our province, we can easily stop them and monitor their movements. So overall, it’s more about maximum deployment of the PNP and their presence where there are many people”.
The Laguna PNP said that they will utilize advanced drones to monitor crowds that can properly surveil people within a 1-kilometer radius.
For emergencies, the public is encouraged to save and register their local police hotline numbers for prompt emergency response. (CO/PIA-4A)
