ALL city and provincial police offices have already finalized their security preparations for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days on November 1 and 2, 2024, respectively.
This was disclosed by Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson for Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) Director Brigadier General Anthony Aberin.
Among their preparations made is to dispatch some 2,000 police personnel to understaffed police stations throughout the region, ready for deployment to cemeteries, alongside soldiers from the Visayas Command, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
According to Pelare, police personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7 (RMFB) and regional headquarter will also be on standby in case their services are required.
General Aberin will also visit city and provincial police stations in the Central Visayas to assess their security readiness, as well as bus terminals and seaports to determine what adjustments can be made to enhance security.
The PRO 7 will also work with the Land Transportation Office and other government agencies to ensure the safety of passengers traveling to their hometowns.
“We also have an augmentation nga gikan sa RMFB but dili sa tanang lugar (from RMFB, but not in all areas). We have just chosen specific areas nga asa sila mas kinahanglan nya naa pud tay gibutang nga (where they are most needed. We also have) reserve personnel from the regional headquarters who will be deployed anytime pag may mga emergency,” Pelare said.
A day before November 1, the PRO 7 will raise its alert status from normal to full alert, which means that no police personnel will be allowed to take a leave of absence.
Aberin reminds his men to not just focus on cemetery security, but also on anti-criminality and law enforcement operations. (AYB, TPT)
