NCRPO to secure cemeteries for Undas

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) would meet with officials of cemeteries in Metro Manila this week to start preparing security measures for the observance of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1, an official said yesterday.

In a command conference yesterday, NCRPO chief Director Guillermo Eleazar directed the region’s five police district directors and 38 station commanders to get the cemetery officials’ first-hand observations and review their respective post-operation reports on last year’s observance of “Undas.”

“We expect millions of Metro Manilans to flock to the cemeteries on that particular day so we must be on our toes at all time to prevent violence from erupting and to maintain the solemn atmosphere inside and outside of the cemeteries,” Eleazar said in an interview.

Like in previous years, Eleazar said they would ban items such as handguns, liquor, knives and other pointed materials and playing cards inside the cemeteries.

The NCRPO, he said, would also coordinate with local government units (LGUs) for the setup of parking areas near cemeteries to prevent altercations among motorists.

The LGUs, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and various communication groups would also be tapped to ease the flow of traffic along routes towards cemeteries.

According to Eleazar, the exact number of policemen to be deployed in cemeteries would be known next week after the NCRPO’s top police officials submit their reports on their meetings with cemetery officials and the LGUs.