BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO & RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – Holy Week in Western Visayas was “generally peaceful”.
“We are happy na walang malaking nangyari…we are thankful to the community and to the thousands of police who secured the region the entire week,” said Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The PRO-6 deployed 2,332 personnel to secure churches, major thoroughfares, transport terminals, seaports, and other places of convergence from April 2 to 9.
However, two persons died due to drowning on Good Friday, April 7, and Black Saturday, April 8, respectively.
On April 7, 19-year-old John Kenneth Segura drowned in waterfalls in Barangay Sagcup, Lambunao town.
On April 8, the body of the 64-year-old Ernesto Coching was found floating in the waters of Sitio Airport, Barangay Caticlan, Malay, Aklan.
A hotel-owned speedboat collided with Coching’s fishing boat in Sitio Angol, Barangay Manoc-manoc on April 5.
“Ito lang ang ating na-record na mga insidente, drowning lang na hindi naman related sa pag-celebrate natin ng Holy Week. So na-reach ang goal to have zero crime incidents,” said Francisco.
In Iloilo City in particular, people observed and celebrated the Holy Week peacefully, according to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines, spokesperson of the ICPO, cited the cooperation of the residents in maintaining peace and harmony.
ICPO deployed 167 police officers in churches, transport terminals, esplanades, malls, and plazas.
Seventeen ambulances were also deployed around the city, particularly in areas people usually flock to.
Darwin Papa, head of the Quick Response Team Division Office, Emergency Operations Center of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, also said that volunteers were on standby and ready to respond to emergencies./PN
