Police: No vendors in perimeter of Mandaue cemeteries

The Mandaue City Police Office will recommend some measures during the upcoming meeting with Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes on Monday, October 19, 2020. CDN Digital | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Vendors should not be allowed to sell candles and flowers within the perimeter of the cemeteries located in the Mandaue City, and visitors should only be allowed in cemeteries in the city for only 20 minutes.

These are among the recommendations that the Mandaue police plan to push in the upcoming meeting with Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes where they would discuss the procedures to be followed in the city’s cemeteries for the All Saints and All Souls Days celebrations.

The meeting will be held this Monday, October 19, 2020.

Reason for police recommendation

Police Colonel Jonathan Abella, Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) chief, said that the recommended measues would be needed to prevent the gathering of people inside the cemeteries and to ensure that safety protocols would be followed.

“Amo’ng i-recommend nga walay magbaligya within the perimeter of the cemetery kay mao sad nay makalangay didto, samot na sa entrance,” Abella said.

(We will recommend that no one will sell [candles and flowers] within the perimeter of the cemetery because that will be the cause of delay of visitors in the area, much more so at the entrance.)

Since procedures on how to go about securing the cemeteries have yet to be discussed with the mayor on Monday’s meeting, the police and barangay tanods are conducting roving patrols in cemeteries to ensure that safety protocols were being followed in these areas.

As of now, the Mandaue police chief said that only a few individuals were visiting their departed loved ones.

Vendors’ appeal

Meanwhile, Gena Banque and Josephine Sandoval, who are candle and flower vendors outside the St. Joseph’s cemetery for 30 years, are appealing that they will be allowed to stay in their spots.

 “Asa naman mi’g ipalit og bugas, pagkaon namu. Ayaw na lang mi ipalayo tawn,” said Banque.

(Where will find money to buy for our rice and food. Please do not put us farther away from the cemetery.)

“Halos wa naman sad moduaw dire, gamay na lang gyud kaayo. Social distancing man sad gyud mamalit sila. Dire sad gud pud mi nagpuyo,” said Sandoval.

(It seems there are only a few visitors. Social distancing are also being observed from the customers. And aside from that, we also live here.)

Balance in implementation

On the other hand, Lawyer Lizer Malate, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) head, said that they might consider the vendors appeal to balance the implementation.

” But then again there should be a balance with this implementation kay kana sila sinugdanan pa lang naa na gyod na sila. In general application, katung ato’ng mga policies nga gi-isyu, katung mga health standards, curfew, as long as they do not violate them, and then wala pod sila ni violate sa uban’g ordinansa sama sa pag abuse of the sidewalks, katu’ng recommendation of the police, we take it seriously, there will be a coordination meeting about ana,”M alate said.

(But then again, there should be a balance with this implementation because these vendors have been there for a long time now. In general application, the policies issued, the health standards, curfew, as long as they do not violate them, and then they did not violate the ordinance abusing the sidewalks, and the recommendation of the police, we take it seriously and there will be a coordination meeting about that.)

Last month, Mayor Jonas Cortes signed Executive Order No. 83-B ordering the closure of all public and private cemeteries from October 29 to November 4 to prevent the mass gathering of people that might spread the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Visits are also limited to only 30 percent of the facility’s capacity.

The visitors are also required to wear face masks and face shields and observe social distancing.

/dbs