First day of Misa de Gallo in Central Visayas goes smoothly

This is a snippet during the first day of Misa de Gallo at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City on Friday, December 16, 2022.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There were no untoward incidents reported during the first day of  Misa de Gallo from all over Central Visayas on Friday,  December 16, 2022, police said.

Police Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba, chief of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, confirmed this as he visited the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral early Friday to check on the readiness of the police personnel assigned in the church.

“So far so good tayo. wala tayong narerecieve na threat. On top tayo rito sa Central Visayas,” Alba said.

Alba said he hopes that the peace and order situation in all churches, so as with other areas of convergence, will be maintained.

Hours before the start of the mass, personnel of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the PRO-7 conducted the panelling to ensure that  no contrabands, or other things that may cause chaos during the Holy Mass, entered the church grounds.

Alba said that they placed Police Assistance Desks in all churches in the region so that devotees can immediately seek help in case of any emergency.

“All over the region, mayroon na tayong nakalatag na police assistance desk and personnel. Not only that, while ang ating mga kababayan ay nagsisimba, meron din nakalatag na deployment sa mga kabahayan, public places, to ensure na ma preserve ang peace and order,” Alba said.

With this, Alba appeals to the public that if they notice suspicious activities, they should immediately report this to the police for faster response.

The entire police force in Central Visayas was on full alert status since December 15. Alba said that the status will remain until the first week of January as they anticipate the initial deployment of personnel for the Sinulog 2023.

For his part, Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said aside from their uniformed personnel assigned in the 36 identified big churches and other crucial areas in Cebu City, they also have undercover personnel who help them in monitoring certain areas.

Police Major Henry Orbiso, chief of Waterfront Police Station, on the other hand, said that they estimate around 2,500 devotees who heard mass on the first day of the Misa de Gallo at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

/bmjo

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