THOSE planning to spend Holy Week in other parts of the province are advised to pack light if they don’t want to be caught up in lengthy inspections at bus terminals and seaports.
This advisory comes from the deputy provincial director for operations, Supt. Erson Digal, who said that the riding public would just have to bear with the inconvenience of submitting to a checkpoint because this is for their own security.
The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) has activated Task Force Igmat, their security plan for the province during the Holy Week.
Since Saturday, a team headed by Insp. Juan Casipong was deployed at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Casipong has a K-9 unit and will be augmented by the security guards assigned at the Capitol building.
There will only be one entry and one exit point at the bus terminal and all bags will go through inspections.
Digal, who will head a group bound for Bantayan Island, said they have three teams from the CPPO headquarters and other police stations who will compose the security force in the island.
Patience
He said rigid inspections will be made, especially at the Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio, which is where passengers heading for Bantayan Island converge.
“So I would just like to ask the public to cooperate with us. If they are not residents of the island and they don’t want to get stuck in the inspections, then they should not bring too many things with them because we will inspect each bag,” Digal said.
He explained that during these inspections, they have had to face irate passengers grumbling about the number of checkpoints they had to go through in the bus terminal, the highway and at the wharf.
He said that if they did not want to be delayed at the checkpoints, they had best leave early.
As for the personnel assigned to conduct these inspections, Digal also asked them to keep a cool head and maintain courtesy at all times.
He said that if they face passengers who grumble about the delays, they would just have to explain why they were being subjected to such inconvenience.
Lost and found
Aside from the South Bus Terminal and Bantayan Island, all police chiefs in the province were ordered to conduct surprise checkpoints and to maintain visibility in churches, where the faithful are expected to flock during these days.
Digal also said there will be assistance booths put up with police, medical teams and “lost and found” counters in certain areas.
A team from the Special Reaction Unit, K-9 and two teams from the CPPO headquarters will also augment the Minglanilla Police Station as it prepares for the annual Sugat in the early hours of Easter Sunday.
In Cebu City, Oplan Semana Santa is also in full swing.
Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador said this consists of uniformed and covert personnel.
They will be detailed throughout the churches in the city and along the route of the Buhing Kalbaryo, which will be staged on Good Friday.
Comendador said the Mobile Patrol Group will be patrolling the churches, especially on Holy Thursday night during the Visita Iglesia.
With long holidays, Comendador also expects more drinking sprees that lead to fights.
They will also be supporting the CPPO by deploying personnel outside the South Bus Terminal while personnel will be assigned at the Citilink terminal.
Both Digal and Comendador warned the public to keep an eye on their things as pickpockets, snatchers and other petty thieves are expected to prey on persons in crowded places.
They also asked parents to keep an eye on their children. (MEA)
