THE arrest of an estafa suspect in the Carreta cemetery and the mayor’s distribution of cash to law enforcers were the highlights in a quiet, nearly crime-free observance of All Saints’ Day in Cebu City.

In the province, it was also quiet, and the most serious challenge for the police in most towns was managing traffic bottlenecks near cemeteries.

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Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador said that except for several reports of illegal cockfighting in Barangays Buhisan and Hipodromo and at least three cases of pickpockets in the terminals, the day proceeded peacefully.

He reported a “dramatic” decrease in the reported cases of missing children and the number of people arrested for violating the liquor ban.

AS of 4 p.m., not a single person was caught bringing bladed weapons or liquor inside the six public cemeteries in Mandaue City and the three public cemeteries in Lapu-
Lapu City.

Talisay City’s cemeteries were generally peaceful as well, which a police official attributed to the combined presence of the police and “force multipliers” like anti-crime volunteers.

Seeing the tanods and policemen who did not leave their posts even if the rain drenched them, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday gave P100 each as allowance to those stationed at the Calamba cemetery.

He gave P11,200 in all.

Because many people took advantage of the early weekend, the police noticed a smooth and orderly observance of All Saints’ Day in the province.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Jesus Gaquing told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday they had no reported incidents or apprehensions from any of the police stations under his jurisdiction.

“Wala gyud ta’y nakitang problema (We haven’t seen any problem). We’ll see what happens tonight, but as of now, the area of the CPPO is peaceful,” he said.

At Calamba, Osmeña said he was impressed by the security arrangements put in place, like the confiscation of bladed weapons at the gate and the frisking of every arrival.

Senior Insp. Noel Lomente, San Nicolas Police Station officer-in-charge, said the mayor asked about the deployment of personnel and saw that the list included 112 tanods and policemen.

He said the mayor’s gesture boosted the policemen and tanods’ morale.

“Pareho ra pud na namo nga naa’y mobisita nga general. Mohatag sad na siya para sa morale sa mga tawo, pang ice cream pananglitan (It’s similar to those occasions when a general visits us and gives us something, like money for ice cream, to boost our morale),” Lomente said.

With so many police operatives fielded to 14 cemeteries in Cebu City, a team from the Waterfront Police Station used the opportunity to serve a warrant of arrest against a woman charged with estafa.

Waterfront Police Station Chief Aureo Sanchez, in his report to Comendador, said that Ruena Lumanog was arrested inside the Carreta cemetery at 11:45 p.m. based on an arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg.

Bail was set at P20,000.

Compared with the two previous years, Comendador noticed a dramatic decrease in the reported cases of missing children and people arrested for violation of the liquor ban.

The number of bladed weapon confiscated in the cemeteries also dropped, Comendador said.

He hopes the peaceful situation in the cemeteries will continue today, All Souls’ Day.

Visibility was crucial.

All leaves of absence were cancelled, but Mandaue City Acting Police Director Senior Supt. Orlando Ualat still requested for seven operatives from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 for the two-day holiday.

Security at the North Bus Terminal is being handled by the Subangdaku police precinct, which expects a rush of passengers today.

“Peaceful ta karon (It’s peaceful today),” Lapu-Lapu City Acting Police Director Mariano Natuel said. Each of the 31 barangays contributed 10 tanods to help the police secure the cemeteries in Sitio Humay-Humay, Gun-ob and Mactan.

Vendors were banned inside the cemeteries, as agreed during a meeting between the police and the Parish Pastoral Council, to make it easy for law enforcers to monitor movements.

Paramedics from the Philippine National Red Cross said they took care of at least 50 persons in the cemeteries of Gun-ob and Humay-Humay, who needed help managing their high blood pressure in such hot, crowded areas.

In Talisay, about 200 men—a combined force of the police and police auxiliaries—secured at least five cemeteries.

Talisay City Police Chief Supt. Henry Biñas said that aside from his own troops, more than 16 policemen from the Regional Mobile Group were sent to help.

For further security within the cemeteries, members of the Talisay City Intelligence Bureau (TCIB) and more than 100 barangay tanods also went to work.

They watched over public cemeteries in Barangays Poblacion, Cansojong and Tangke and private cemeteries like the Cebu South Memorial Garden in Barangay Mohon and the Evergreen Memorial Garden located in the South Road Properties side of Barangay San Roque.

Biñas has ordered his troops to watch out for any suspicious gatherings near the cemeteries, such as gangs and fraternities, to prevent violence.

But as of 4 p.m. yesterday, no untoward incidents were reported, inside or outside the cemeteries.

Some traffic near cemeteries, as expected, kept the police busy in most towns.

In Carcar, PO1 Abraham de Jesus said tanods were able to manage the flow of vehicles leading to the four cemeteries, where Gaquing noticed some vehicles were
stalled. He hoped the peaceful observance of the holiday would continue today.

In Ronda, PO1 Mierla Saurnido said traffic was manageable, even if the public cemetery was located along the highway.

PO1 Edward Veloso said they expected more people to head to the cemeteries of Minglanilla at night. During the day, they did not experience any problems.

SPO4 Edgar Gomez said the observance of the holiday was “peaceful” in Danao City, even as they divided their personnel among the four cemeteries in Barangay Poblacion, Taytay and Tabok Kamalig Bato.

He said it is possible more people will flock to the cemeteries today.

In Toledo City, SPO3 Gil Lastimosa said vehicles moved smoothly as the roads leading to the cemetery were wide enough and tanods and police personnel were able to control the flow.

SPO1 Willer Sayson of the Dumanjug Police Station said traffic was manageable in their town.

PO2 Miriam Roble had the same assessment in Consolacion, saying there were enough traffic aides to make sure vehicles were not stalled in the streets leading to the cemeteries.

In Naga, PO2 Kent Cabrera said the cemetery in West Poblacion was far from the main highway and traffic was not among the problems they encountered. (JTG/MEA/RHM/JKV/AIV)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 2, 2009.