SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) reported Friday that the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day across the province has been generally peaceful.
APPO deputy director for operations Superintendent Norby Escobar, said there was no untoward incident during the two-day observance of “Undas.”
The provincial police launched “Oplan Kaluluwa” on Oct. 31 with the setting up of assistance desks in areas of convergence, particularly in cemeteries.
“We deployed 257 police personnel to the cemeteries, bus terminals, malls, plazas and other tourist destinations,” Escobar said.
The police personnel deployed were from APPO and from the 18 municipal police stations in the province.
“If by Nov. 3, there will still be people going to the cemeteries, the police will continue manning the assistance desks,” Escobar said.
Meanwhile, Senior Police Officer 4 Julius R. Arenga of the Sibalom municipal police, which has about 50 police personnel deployed, said in a separate interview that the afternoon of Nov. 1 was the peak time at the Sibalom Public Cemetery. However, he did not give numbers as to how many visitors were recorded.
“We distributed ‘Undas’ Safety Tip flyers right at the gate of the cemetery so people would become aware of what to do,” he said, adding that cemetery goers were advised to have enough food and water to drink, but refrain from bringing alcoholic beverages.
The flyers also emphasized the ban on deadly or bladed weapons inside the cemetery. “There was no confiscated bladed weapon or instrument that could disturb the peaceful observance,” Arenga said. (PNA)
