Sunday, November 02, 2008 ‘Better than normal’ peace
FEW complaints and a smaller-than-expected haul of bladed weapons in the cemeteries led Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos to assess the observance of All Saints’ Day in Central Visayas as “normal and even better.”
Roderos, who received feedback every hour from field teams in the region’s four provinces, said there were no incidents related to the All Saints’ Day celebration that reached the police.
Both Roderos and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador believed that their early announcements on what items are prohibited inside the cemetery paid off.
“Everything is going according to the security plan. I am satisfied. It is effective and efficient,” Roderos said.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who has been monitoring the churches and cemeteries since Friday, said he has not received reports of any untoward incident, so far.
No complaints also reached the help desks organized by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
In almost all the cemeteries in the city as well as in Cebu Province, the police and volunteers confiscated a few bolos, scissors and paint scrapers when they inspected visitors’ bags at the gates.
Some people tried to sneak in bottles of liquor but these were also seized.
Comendador started roving the major cemeteries at 7 a.m. to ensure the security plan was in place.
At 9 a.m., Supt. Pablo Labra II, CCPO deputy director for operations and commander of the Task Group Motorcycle, dispatched three teams to the streets. One of the teams was headed by SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, a sharpshooter formerly assigned to secure the city mayor.
By 10 a.m., Roderos joined Comendador in the inspection of the major cemeteries in Cebu City.
In Carreta, one of the city’s busiest graveyards, Roderos thanked the civilian volunteer groups such as the Barangay Intelligence Networks and barangay tanods for helping the police.
At the Queen City Garden, Roderos’ team also visited the grave of Marijoy Chiong, where he thanked Marijoy’s mother Thelma for her work in the Crusade Against Violence.
Cooperation
For his part, Rama credited the peaceful situation in Cebu City to the cooperation of cemetery guests, barangay tanods, police auxiliary groups, parish security groups and the Barangay Intelligence Network, among others.
City councilors and department heads who live in Cebu City were each assigned a cemetery to monitor.
“Nindot kayo ang panaghugpong (There’s a concerted effort) towards a very clear purpose, which is a peaceful All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day,” he said.
LTFRB 7 Director Romulo Bernardes and LTO 7 Director Raul Aguilos said that most travelers only approach help desks when seeking assistance in transporting bags and getting directions.
The help desks are located at the Cebu South Bus Terminal, the Cebu North Bus Terminal, Mactan-Cebu International Airport and at Piers 1, 3 and 4. These are manned by personnel from LTO, LTFRB and other agencies under the Department of Transportation and Communications.
Bernardes said that he has instructed all LTFRB personnel in the field to investigate any complaint from the public so drivers, conductors and operators who violate the law will be prosecuted.
“No complaint has been filed so far,” Bernardes said.
Travel rush
Aguilos said the number of travelers tremendously increased last Friday afternoon but gradually decreased yesterday morning.
But while the number of passengers dropped yesterday afternoon, they expect it to go up again tomorrow morning when workers and students return to Metro Cebu.
After visiting the cemeteries in the city, Roderos went straight to the North Bus Terminal, one of the “problem areas” he earlier identified.
Unlike last year, however, Roderos said the terminal was more organized. He suggested that next time, portable railings be installed in the passengers’ area to compel passengers to fall in line instead of scrambling for seats on the buses.
It was generally peaceful too in the cemeteries of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities.
One factor that helped in the four adjacent cemeteries in Mandaue—the municipal and Catholic cemeteries, as well as Manpark and Grosmar Memorial Garden in Barangay Guizo—was that people didn’t stay long inside.
“They just light their candles, pray and leave the place. They don’t stay long,” said Insp. Roseller Paller, head of Mandaue City’s Station 1.
Deterrent
“Generally peaceful” was the assessment by Acting Mayor Carlo Fortuna, whose house sits just across four adjacent cemeteries.
Mandaue City has eight cemeteries in all, including the Jagobiao-Pagsabungan cemeteries, Angelicum in Barangay Canduman and Cempark in Barangay Banilad.
At 2:30 p.m., Police Director Ray Roderos, twin brother of PRO 7 Director Ronald Roderos, visited Lapu-Lapu City and their areas of responsibility, said SPO1 Rodito Viovicente.
Roderos, director for research and development of Camp Crame, is the assigned Oplan Kalag-Kalag supervisor for Regions 7 and 8.
Viovicente said the city’s biggest graveyard, the Catholic cemetery, was secured by 35 policemen plus 30 tanods from various barangays and 35 to 40 barangay intelligence network members who wore their trademark black vests.
He said the police anticipated that the crowd might get unruly, so they organized a “big show of force.” (JTG/RHM/OCP/EOB)
