MORE than 40, 000 people visited the cemeteries in Cebu City yesterday.

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) confiscated bladed objects used to clean graves and liquor from some of the 15 cemeteries under their areas of responsibility.

“The situation is still generally peaceful. There were no recorded incidents in our regionwide assessment in Central Visayas, which includes Siquijor and Negros Oriental,” Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Jose Espino said.

Espino said that despite the high volume of people who visited the graves of their loved ones, there were no adjustments in the number of personnel deployed.

CCPO Director Joel Doria said that they are monitoring the cemeteries of Doña Pepang, Sto Rosario, Carreta, Cempark, Queen City Garden, St Joseph, Calamba, Pardo, Agsungot, Adlaon, Cambinocot, Sirao, Tan Chan, Veterans and Municipal.

After Carreta, Espino and Doria also visited the Calamba cemetery yesterday to inspect the situation.

Among those who paid their departed loved ones their respects were Mayor Tomas Osmeña, his wife Councilor Margarita and their son Miguel.

The Osmeñas visited their family mausoleum at the Doña Pepang Cemetery yesterday morning.

Doria said that they expected the surge of people yesterday because of the fine weather compared last Tuesday.

The city director said that police also arrested Juanito Fernandez, 25, for having in his possession a caliber .38 firearm with two bullets and Jerson Paculbi, 19, for having been caught stealing candles and other offerings left in the graves.

A woman was also rushed to the nearest hospital by the Cebu City Emergency Medical Services (CCEMS) after she fainted in the Calamba cemetery.

Fifty-six members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) also arrived as additional detail in the cemeteries.

The CCPO has established 55 police assistance hubs in different cemeteries with 191 personnel manning the desk. (RTF, FMG, JOB)