Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, Josefino Ligan during one of his online pressers. | CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will be augmented for the last day of the Misa de Gallo to ensure a smooth end to the nine-day dawn novena masses.
Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, the director of the CCPO, said that at least 50 police personnel from the crisis response battalion will be deployed in the city to augment the forces securing the 35 churches holding the dawn masses.
Most of these policemen will be securing the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño as the church draws the most crowd. This is also a preparation, a practice round, for the upcoming Sinulog Festival in January 2021, Ligan said.
Ligan added that the public has learned their lesson in the past eight days of the Misa de Gallo after constant reminders, apprehensions, and consistent implementation.
For tomorrow, the preparations will be intensified including placing clearer markers for the parishioners, deployment of Kaohsiung buses as holding centers for violators, and strict monitoring prior to entry to the church compounds.
“I hope mocooperate ang mga tawo sa last day sa atong Misa de Gallo,” said Ligan.
The CCPO also expressed relief that the quarantine passes will be reinstated after Christmas so that during the celebration of the New Year, people would no longer be going out indiscriminately.
Ligan said that the police is ready to implement the coding system again on December 26, 2020. /rcg