ILOILO City – Around 10,000 police officers will be deployed around Western Visayas to ensure peace and order during the Holy Week this month.
Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky, PRO-6 director, said he wanted to enforce maximum police visibility for the security of the local and foreign tourists as well as pilgrims, particularly those who would want to visit Holy Week sites such as in Jordan, Guimaras to witness the “Ang Pagtaltal sa Balaan Bukid.”
“We have already laid out our plans to ensure the orderly and peaceful observance of the Lenten season. We are aiming for zero major crime incidents that’s why we have to deploy more cops,” Wanky said.
The PRO-6 will also utilize force multipliers to help the police and keep close coordination with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy groups to ensure that peace and order will be maintained especially in places of convergence like churches and pilgrim and tourist sites.
“My instruction is clear to all PNP (Philippine National Police) units across the region to operationalize their security and public safety plans and measures,” Wanky said.
For its part, the Regional Maritime Unit 6 (RMU-6) will deploy at least 20 personnel for security augmentation especially in Guimaras straight
Police Colonel Ervin Glenn Provido, RMU-6 chief, said speedboats and jet skis would be used by the Maritime personnel.
“We all know that thousands of pilgrims would come and some would spend vacation in beaches, so we have to help in securing them,” Provido added./PN
