Negros Oriental Province-Wide Bomb Threat Exercise

The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) Colonel Raul Tacaca has reinvigorated the different police stations in their response to bomb threats and possible bomb attacks through a simulated exercise or ‘SIMEX’. The Negros Oriental province-wide bomb threat exercise was held last Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

SIMEX – Bomb Threat Exercise

The SIMEX on bombing and bomb disposal was held Wednesday in all the cities and municipalities of the province, said Capt. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, deputy chief of the Provincial Operations and Planning Branch of NOPPO. Yesterday, he explained in the dialect that the SIMEX aims to provide a refresher course for the so-called first responders in the towns and cities and at the same time prepare for the upcoming May 13 National Elections.

Although we don’t have an immediate threat as regards bombings, we still need to prepare for any eventuality, and this is also in compliance with the directive from the national headquarters,” said Capt. Jul Mohammad Jamiri.

According to him, the NOPPO’s bomb squad is headquartered at Camp Fernandez in Agan-an, Sibulan town but the different police stations are taught the basics of first response in the event of a bomb threat or a bomb attack.

The police stations chose certain areas for the simulated exercises and the mayors and local officials were informed about it so as not to take them by surprise, while coordinating with the different law enforcement agencies, such as the Armed Forces, he added.

We are preparing our logistical requirements so that we can be ready and more efficient in responding to this kind of threat,” Jamiri said.

Although they consider all areas as a potential target, he said the emphasis is given on the so-called areas of convergence, such as malls, churches, and markets, among others, based on previous bombing incidents in other places.

The one-day SIMEX is just the start of a series of activities in adherence to directives from the national as well as the regional police office, Jamiri said.