Police in Naga, Minglanilla, Talisay not taking chances

CEBU, Philippines - The celebration of the All Souls Day in the past many years have been considered generally peaceful, yet police chiefs in these areas are not taking any chances.

 "In the past, All Souls Day here (in Naga) has been generally peaceful. But we a=lways follow directives from above, that we should always be prepared just in case," said Chief Inspector Timmar Jamio Alam, chief of the City of Naga police station.

 Alam said all their 40 PNP personnel are divided into three 8-hour shifts; some are scattered in the three public assistance centers in Naga's four cemeteries (a public cemetery, a Catholic cemetery, and two private ones: Legacy and Olives). All these cemeteries lay next to another, all in barangay West Poblacion, therefore, two of them can share one public assistance center, said Alam. The rest will patrol, the police chief said.

 The same procedure is also being followed by the Minglanilla Police Station, said its chief Laurel Almirante.

 Almirante also warned the public to refrain from bringing in liquor, sound systems, and lethal objects inside the cemeteries.

 "We might have been lenient before, but now, we have to follow orders," said Almirante.

 The police chief said they have already warned convenient stores surrounding the cemeteries not to sell liquor; otherwise, they will be forced to confiscate these.

 Almirante, who assumed as Minglanilla police station chief on October last year, said apart from the traffic problems on roads that lead to the cemeteries, he expects a "generally peaceful" commemoration of All Souls Day in Minglanilla this year.

 The Minglanilla police, with its 35 personnel and an augmentation group, has been in full force since yesterday, said the police chief.

 Meanwhile, Supt. Eddie Recamara of the Talisay City police station visited the cemeteries yesterday as part of the security measures of his force.

 Recamara has also deployed men to the city's four cemeteries starting the other day.

 In the early 90s, the Catholic cemetery in barangay Poblacion was hit by a bomb killing some people.

Recamara, however, said security has been in place not only in the Poblacion cemetery but also in three others to ensure that the incident will not happen again.