The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is set to deploy some 80 additional port police personnel by yearend to beef up the police force manning 115 ports under its jurisdiction.
The new members of the PPA port police are now undergoing rigorous physical, emotional and intellectual preparations at the PPA training facility located north of Manila, the port authority said in a statement.
PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel R. Santiago said the hiring and deployment of more port police personnel is part of PPA’s continuing effort to ensure strict implementation of local and international port security measures and protocols.
“Our port police play an important role in ensuring safety and security of passenger transport and cargo hauling in PPA-managed ports around the country as threats remain imminent nationwide,” Santiago said.
“Safety and security protocols are constantly evolving especially taking into consideration the global war on terror and we have to guarantee that our force is well equipped with necessary skills and knowledge in delivering their tasks,” the PPA chief added.
“With a stronger port police force, we expect to mitigate, if not eliminate, the threats surrounding our ports since these are vital transport installations,” Santiago noted.
With the implementation of the International Ships and Port Facility Security Code in 2005, PPA said its ports have been maintaining high safety and security standards and keeping a highly qualified and competent port police force.
The implementation of the Port Safety, Health, and Environmental Health System, a pet project of PPA, likewise called for a well-capacitated port police force to fully implement the project’s provisions.
In June 2019, the PPA port police force also underwent training on law enforcement techniques with the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service to equip responding officers with the necessary techniques to deal with various law enforcement situations.
“This is part of the mantra I brought when I took over PPA in 2016, to instill a culture of safety and security in all aspects of operations,” Santiago said.
