‘No threats this Holy Week’

MANILA, Philippines — No threats have been detected amid the country’s observance of the Holy Week.

“The public should not worry. We have a very safe Holy Week,” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said yesterday, citing the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s report.

At least 35,000 police officers would be deployed amid the expected influx of travelers, Abalos noted.

“Everything went well and we declared heightened alert this morning effective 12:01 a.m., meaning 75 percent of our personnel will be deployed on the streets,” PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said in an ambush interview at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange yesterday.

Over 180,000 police personnel and allied agencies’ personnel have been deployed to ensure public safety across various key locations such as highways, ports, terminals, airports, religious sites and tourist areas, he noted.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, domestic-bound passengers are starting to arrive.

An influx of over one million passengers is expected, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.

MIAA general manager Eric Ines and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista inspected Terminal 3 yesterday.

“The comfort rooms are all working. The overall experience of passengers is great,” Bautista said, noting that he spoke with some of the passengers during the inspection.

The MIAA and airlines should coordinate to lessen flight cancellations, he advised.

As for the issue of bedbugs and rats that went viral on social media, Bautista said those are isolated cases.

Ines said they are anticipating a 15 percent increase in passenger volume or more than 1.1 million passengers during this year’s Holy Week, compared to the 926,755 passengers that passed through NAIA from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday last year.

Passenger traffic could reach 140,000 in a single day or close to the pre-pandemic Lenten season record of 1,126,501 passengers over eight days, averaging 140,812 daily, the MIAA noted.

Meanwhile, Filipinos should remember the sacrifices of Jesus Christ during Holy Week and use them to bolster piety and democratic aspirations in building a peaceful nation, Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday.

“I include peace and unity for our country in my prayers. Let us be inspired by this opportunity to continue our pious and democratic aspirations for the people and build a peaceful country,” she said in a statement. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Rudy Santos, Mark Ernest Villeza