ILOILO CITY – The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 held a simulation exercise to test the capability of police officers assigned to world-famous Boracay Island in Malay town, Aklan province.

A K-9 unit checks a suspicious box during a simulation exercise on Boracay Island, the country’s most famous beach destination in Malay town, Aklan province. (PRO-6)
Police Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, PRO-6 director, led the evaluating team for the simulation exercise that tested the capability of the Malay Municipal Police Station to handle various lawless elements that might threaten the peace and security of the country’s most famous beach destination.
While Boracay is considered as generally peaceful, Villaflor said the simulation exercise is important for the resort-island.
Villaflor said that any incident that disturbs peace and order on the island not only becomes national news but also international news. “Thus, it can have a negative impact in the country’s tourism industry and even the economy.”
He and Police Col. Victorino Romanillos Jr., Aklan Police Provincial Office chief, witnessed five different scenarios.
One was a simulated terrorist attack as an armed group on board a motorized boat headed towards the island. The Malay police and the Aklan Maritime Police Station conducted sea vessel interdiction.
Others were a simulated bomb threat, hostage-taking incident, a checkpoint, and drowning incident.