Armed cops now allowed inside malls —police official

Bomb threats blasted a long-running policy that prohibits armed policemen on regular foot patrol from going inside malls, a police official said Saturday.

Citing several reports of bomb threats following the deadly Davao City blast on September 2,  the Philippine National Police lifted the prohibition, especially in malls in Metro Manila.

Chief Supt. Camilo Cascolan, head of the PNP's Directorate for Operations, said the move is a big boost for the police to fully secure malls.

"Generally, the PNP can now go inside. In police uniform and with firearms," said Cascolan.

According to him, the prohibition had been imposed due to past cases of robbers posing as policemen.

Moreover, Cascolan said that even cops in civilian clothes are also allowed inside.

Plainclothes police operatives would focus more on anti-terror efforts, specifically in intelligence gathering and profiling of possible suspects.

"Their targets are suspicious people inside the malls. If they see one, they would immediately approach them and invite them to the security room," Cascolan said.

Close coordination with malls' security managers has been strengthened, he added.

After the Davao City blast, the PNP met with security managers of malls and other business establishments, he said.

But he noted that the most important anti-terror measure is the cooperation of the pubic by reporting suspicious packages and people in public places and even in their communities.  — LBG, GMA News