THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) will deploy more than 1,700 police personnel to secure the Traslacion and reception of the holy image of Saint Joseph at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City, according to Police Colonel Cirilo B. Acosta Jr., city police director on Monday, January 12, 2026.
Acosta said police personnel will begin deployment as early as 8 a.m., with officers reporting to their designated posts by 4 p.m.
He added that a briefing will be conducted two hours before deployment to ensure proper coordination and readiness.
“We will deploy our personnel as early as 8 a.m., and two hours before deployment, we will conduct a briefing. By 4 p.m., our personnel will already be in their respective posts,” Acosta said.
Security coverage will extend until 10 p.m. or up to midnight, depending on the conclusion of the mass at the Basilica.
Police will remain on standby while waiting for the reception of the holy image in Mandaue City.
“The security coverage may last until 10 o’clock in the evening or even until 12 midnight, depending on when the mass at the Basilica ends. We will wait for the reception of the holy image here in Mandaue,” Acosta said.
The MCPO increased its security deployment due to the addition of several side events and overnight religious activities, which are expected to draw more devotees compared to last year.
“Because there are additional side events, we identified more areas where we need to deploy personnel,” Acosta said.
“With the approval of our regional director, Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, we decided to double our deployment from more than 800 personnel last year to over 1,700 this year.”
Acosta explained that last year’s activities were held only in the afternoon, while this year’s celebration will involve overnight events, including masses and pahalok, which are expected to attract a larger crowd.
“Last year, the activities were only in the afternoon. Now, the holy images will stay overnight, and there will be a series of activities such as masses and pahalok. We expect a larger influx of people because of these overnight activities,” he said.
Acosta said that, based on current intelligence assessments, authorities have not monitored any threats related to the event.
“So far, as of today, we have not seen or received any threats based on the evaluation of our intelligence agencies and intelligence units. Everything is good so far,” he said.
However, he emphasized that police will remain fully alert to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the celebration.
“Even without any threats, we do not let our guard down. We remain fully alert to ensure that the celebration is peaceful, meaningful, and that the religious nature of the activities is maintained,” Acosta said.
He clarified that the additional deployment is on top of regular police operations and will not affect routine patrols.
“Our deployment is over and above our regular deployment. We did not touch our beat patrollers, fixed visibility points, and elevated outposts that are being enforced by the regional director of PRO-7,” Acosta said.
Police personnel will be deployed on a 24/7 basis, with augmentation from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and other units.
Acosta said MCPO personnel will also be tasked to monitor the fluvial procession, particularly in coastal areas such as Looc, Subangdaku, Paknaan, and the Mandaue Bay area.
“These are coastal areas that we need to closely monitor because we expect many spectators and devotees to gather there,” he said, adding that around 100 additional personnel have already been assigned to these areas.
“All personnel are already deployed and have been given their respective assignments,” Acosta said. (ABC)