Mandaue City’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel
secure the North Bus Terminal in this file photo taken November 1 of last year.
FROM the initial plan of deploying 1,200 policemen to secure the region’s cemeteries in observance of All Souls and All Saints Day On November 1 and 2, the regional police office has decided to utilize 900 more personnel to ensure that the two-day break will be peaceful and orderly.
Supt. Reyman Tolentin, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) spokesperson, said that the decision to increase the number of security personnel was hatched during Wednesday’s coordination meeting of all city and provincial directors and chiefs of police at the PRO-7 headquarters.
“But (as of Wednesday) we are still collating all the needs of the police offices so this figure might increase again,” said Tolentin.
Tolentin said that some chiefs of police requested augmentation since there are stations with bigger areas of responsibility.
On top of their priority are the crowded cemeteries and homes left unattended by owners.
“Sa Cebu City palang naa tay 29 nga mga sementeryo, sa Mandaue walo. Sa Cebu Province naay mga 149 from different municipalities. Puros ni mga dagko g’yud,” said Tolentin.
(In Cebu City alone we have 29 cemeteries, in Mandaue eight while there are 149 cemeteries in different towns in Cebu province. And these cemeteries are big)
Tolentin said that as of Wednesday, there will be 2,172 police personnel that will be deployed all over the region.
He added that their force will be augmented by 6,000 volunteers, up from 1,900 last year. The volunteers he said, come from different organizations.
The region has more or less 500 cemeteries.
Heightened alert
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu Station is now on heightened alert.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Lt. Jg. Mike Encina, PCG-Cebu spokesperson, said that they have already implemented heightened security in all ports in Cebu.
“One week bago mag-Undas talagang naghaheightened alert tayo. Kasi start na din ng sembreak maraming uuwi at pumupunta dito sa Cebu,” said Encina.
(One week before the All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day, we raise our status to heightened alert because we expect more travellers during this time especially since it’s semestral break).
Encina said that aside from securing the ports, they will also be on the lookout for colorum
vessels.