Rizal police tighten campus safety protocols after Tacloban incident

The Rizal Police Provincial Office (Rizal PPO) held a high-level online meeting to set up tighter security measures across schools in the province. The assembly, led by Police Provincial Director Col. Eleazar R. Barber Jr., finalized the framework of Plan 02-2026: School Security and Safety Protocols to Prevent Acts of Violence in Educational Institutions in the Province of Rizal. The briefing gathered key stakeholders, including Rizal Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Doris DJ. Estalilla, Antipolo Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lerma S. Flandez, public school heads, municipal and city police chiefs, disaster management officials, and community representatives. The session was jointly facilitated by Police Lt. Col. Christine Al Marie B. Valenzona, chief of the Provincial Community Affairs and Development Unit, and Police Maj. Joel L. Alvarez, chief of the Provincial Operations and Management Unit. During the meeting, officials agreed on directives under the plan, highlighting stronger police presence through more foot and mobile patrols around school perimeters. They also committed to improving communication networks among police units, DepEd officials, and barangay personnel, while putting in place preventive security measures to stop campus violence and harassment. Col. Barber stressed the importance of working together, saying schools must remain safe havens for students, teachers, and parents. He added that the initiative aims to give the education community peace of mind by ensuring proactive measures are in place. The Rizal PPO noted that the move was prompted by the recent Tacloban campus tragedy, where a gun attack carried out by two minor students claimed the lives of several learners.