SOME 300 Cebu City police officers will do a walk through in two pilot areas on Saturday (Oct. 27) of how they will deploy and secure cemeteries in the city as the All Saints and All Souls Days celebrations draw near.
Supt. Emily Santos, CCPO deputy director for operations, said the San Nicolas Police Precinct 6 under Chief Insp. Allan Rosario would lead the dry run of the pre-deployment of police officers in the cemeteries of Calamba and Talamban, which are two of the biggest cemeteries in the city.
These two cemeteries are the pilot areas for the police security dry run for the Nov. 1, All Saints Day, and the Nov. 2, All Souls Day celebrations.
Santos said that Rosario asked for the dry run where they would inspect the two cemeteries and do a walk through of where these police officers would be deployed to secure the cemetery crowds.
This will include the area where they will put up their Police Assistance Desk which will be the most accessible areas in the cemeteries for someone who will seek police help.
Senior Supt. Royina Garma, CCPO chief, said that police officers in the city would be deployed in the morning of Oct. 31 at cemeteries, ports and bus terminals.
On Monday, Oct. 29, it will be the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO)’s turn to inspect the different cemeteries in the city.
Nagiel Bañacia, CCDRRMO officer-in-charge, said that the inspection would hopefully help them determine the areas where they would place the ambulances and fire trucks and to make that any structure in the cemeteries would be safe.
Bañacia also said that it would not only be the CCDRRMO to inspect the cemeteries but also the police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the City Engineering Office.
He also said that the CCDRRMO would also set up portable restrooms inside the cemeteries.
“Dapat hapsay ang pagsaulog sa Todos los Santos, adlaw sa Kalag–Kalag (We must have a smooth All Souls Day.)”, he said.
Last Oct. 22, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said that there would be 10 ambulances and 9 fire trucks to be placed near cemeteries.
Francisco Ouano, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) chief, also said that several roads would be closed for public utility vehicles to ease traffic in cemeteries in the city.
Meanwhile, Bañacia also reminded the public to take care of their homes before visiting the cemeteries to make sure that the houses would be secured and nothing would be left at the house such as unplugged appliances or gadgets that would cause a possible fire.