Cebu City police are on heightened alert with 80 percent of the force deployed to secure major cemeteries starting Thursday.
The alert status means that leaves are cancelled and all policemen have to report for duty, said Chief Insp. David Señor, as part of preparations for All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.
Señor said the remaining 20 percent will man police stations and conduct patrols in designated areas.
Closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras are installed in Carreta Cemetery, the Chinese Cemetery, and the Ludo and Queen City Garden, said Senior Supt. Marciano Batiancela Jr. of the Cebu city police. With the increased police visibility, there were minimal reports of theft, he added.
Policemen led by Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, regional police director, yesterday morning inspected bus terminals, ports and Calamba cemetery. They distributed booklets with safety tips to the public. Bañas said 500 men are deployed over the weekend and police assistance desks are set up in terminals, ports and cemeteries. In Calamba, barangay tanods will roam the cemetery to help enforce a ban on liquor and to randomly inspect suspicious characters for concealed weapons.