Gov’t agencies ready for Holy Week

THE 227,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday went on heightened alert as part of its effort to secure the country during the Holy Week.

PNP Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Lieutenant General Rhodel O. Sermonia ordered the upgrading of their alert status from April 2 to April 9 to preempt threats from lawless groups, including the New People’s Army (NPA) that may “exploit” the situation to carry out an offensive against the government.

Sermonia said they are going “all-out to prevent violent terrorist and criminal acts” like bombings that may target government forces and innocent civilians during the week.

As part of their measures, all 17 Police Regional Offices (PROs) and the different PNP National Operational Support Units (NSUs) were placed under heightened alert status effective 8 a.m. Sunday, April 2 to 8 a.m. Sunday, April 9.

All duty personnel was likewise reminded by the PNP Directorate for Operations (PNP-DO) headed by Major Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta to “execute extreme caution to preempt enemy atrocities.”

All 17 PROs were also given the discretion to raise their alert level depending on the prevailing situation in their respective areas of responsibility.

Designated as PNP-OIC in the absence of PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., who is attending an official law enforcement conference in Australia, Sermonia also ordered all concerned police units to maximize their visibility in all places of convergence, including transport hubs, places of worship, beaches/resorts, markets and leisure parks including shopping malls.

All PROs and NSUs were likewise ordered to activate their respective “Red Teams” under their respective Deputy Regional Director for Operations and Deputy Director for Operations for deployment this week.

Azurin earlier ordered all police commanders across the country to ensure the safe travel of all motorists and the rest of the general public as Filipino Christians and Muslims simultaneously observe the Holy Week and Ramadan and the rest of the summer vacation period.

“Let us ensure the safe travel of all motorists going home for the Holy Week. For all travelers via different airlines or seaports, let’s all ensure that no untoward incidents will happen at the airports and seaports, especially the baggage or belongings of passengers,” the top cop said.

“To those taking the bus, please ensure that the drivers are okay, not tired, and the buses are in good running conditions. Let’s keep this Holy Week one of the safest and [most] peaceful one,” Azurin added.

The PNP chief also reminded all his men, especially the chiefs of police and commanders, to also ensure their safety while responding to calls for police assistance.

“Let’s avoid the unfortunate incident that happened in San Miguel, Bulacan. Let’s aspire for zero [casualties] among our personnel and the community we are serving and protecting as we observe our Holy Week. Let us also pray and discern for a better PNP,” Azurin added.

He was referring to the death of Lieutenant Colonel Marlon Serna, the chief of the San Miguel Municipal Police Station in Bulacan, who was shot dead by one of the motorcycle-riding robbers he and his men were accosting in a hot pursuit operation in nearby San Ildefonso town.

A P1.2 million has been offered for any information that would lead to the identification and arrest of the gunman and his cohort.

A total of 74,114 police officers have been deployed to ensure the safety and security of the public during these simultaneous Christian and Muslim religious celebrations.

The observance of Holy Week was ushered by the celebration of Palm Sunday and will culminate on April 9, Easter Sunday. On the other hand, the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan started on March 23 and will culminate with the celebration of Eid’l Fitr in the 3rd week of April.

The annual summer holiday period extends thru the traditional Fiesta and Flores de Mayo season in May.

The PNP-DO said that a total of 38,387 officers will be deployed for enhanced police presence through mobile and foot/beat patrol, while an additional 39,504 officers will be deployed for specific areas of convergence such as major thoroughfares, transportation hubs, terminals, commercial areas, and places of worship.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), headed by Major Gen. Edgar Alan O. Okubo, will have the highest number of deployments, with a total of 9,585 police officers.

Other regions with increased deployment include the Police Regional Office 1 in Ilocos-Pangasinan region under Brigadier Gen. John C. Chua with 5,304 officers; the PRO4-A in Calabarzon region under Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez with 6,496 officers; and the PRO5 in the Bicol region under Brig. Gen. Westrimundo Obinque with 5,594 officers.

The PNP Aviation Security Group under Brig. Gen. Jerry F. Bearis will deploy 1,606 officers; the PNP Highway Patrol Group, headed by Brig. Gen. Clifford B. Gairanod will field 1,874 personnel while the PNP Maritime Group under Brig. Gen. Harold B. Tuzon will deploy 297 personnel.

Azurin emphasized that the PNP’s deployment plan aimed to ensure the safety of the public during a religious observance and urged the public to cooperate with the authorities.

“The deployment of our police officers is aimed to provide maximum security coverage to the public who will take part in the various religious activities,” he said.

“As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage everyone to observe safety protocols and cooperate with our law enforcement agencies to ensure a peaceful and safe Holy Week for all,” the top cop added.

The PNP’s deployment plan for Holy Week and Ramadan aims to ensure that the public can observe their religious traditions and practices peacefully and safely. The PNP urges everyone to cooperate with the authorities and to report immediately any suspicious activities or persons in their area, the official furthered.

‘PRO3 tightens security for Lent’

As last-ditch efforts to ensure the safety of the public during the observance of Holy Week, Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 director Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr. deployed over 1,000 policemen from the different police units in the region.

“We are expecting [an] influx of passengers in bus terminals, and at the same time, pilgrims and devotees to local churches and pilgrimage sites are expected to flock, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; this is why I have ordered the maximum deployment of our personnel as well as I have tapped the support of other police units within the region,” Hidalgo said.

“We have also solicited the support of our force multipliers and auxiliary forces to include our BPATs (Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams) and Radio net groups to help us ensure public safety,” Hidalgo added.

He added that police visibility is being intensified through increased foot/mobile patrols and established Police Assistance Desks/Centers (PADs/Cs). Also, road safety marshals are already deployed in convergence points, particularly in bus terminals, airports, seaports, and recreational areas, including highways, main thoroughfares, and “crime-prone” areas, to ensure maximum police presence.

Earlier, PNP personnel across the region have provided area security in churches and chapels as the Holy Week officially starts with Palm Sunday.

“Semana Santa is a time for spiritual reflection for our Catholic devotees, and we want them to hold their devout activities without worries.

We are committed to ensuring their safety and maintaining peace and order in the week-long observance of Holy Week,” the CL top cop added.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it has placed its personnel on heightened alert at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other international ports nationwide in anticipation of a large influx of international passengers during the Lenten break.

“We are bracing for a surge in the volume of [the] passenger who are expected to travel in and out of the country during the Holy Week, thus we have to alert our border control officers for any eventuality that may arise during this period,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.

Tansingco said the BI has also fielded more than a hundred added immigration officers to the NAIA to augment the number of manpower manning the immigration booths in the arrival and departure areas of the premiere port.

“This will ensure that our services to the traveling public are not interrupted or compromised even if there is a sharp increase in passenger volume. That is why we have banned our port personnel from going on leave during the Lenten break,” he added.

According to the BI chief, he has instructed the bureau’s terminal heads in the airports to implement stricter measures in screening passengers and deter any attempts by human trafficking syndicates to take advantage of the occasion in spiriting their victims out of the country.

BI port personnel were also ordered to be vigilant in screening arriving foreigners to make sure that no unwanted or illegal aliens were able to slip into the country.

Tansingco bared that BI’s electronic gates are fully operational at the airport, which allows digital processing of arrivals for as fast as eight seconds per passenger.

The BI foresees a far bigger number of travelers who will enter and exit the country during this year’s Lenten break in light of the country’s reopening of its borders after the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Statistics show that passenger arrivals at airports now average between 30,000 to 32,000 daily, compared to only 5,000 to 6,000 a year ago. They said that they project that the number will rise up to around 40,000 during Maundy Thursday onwards.

The BI also fielded 36 new immigration officers that recently concluded their training at the Philippine Immigration Academy in Clark, Pampanga. BY ALFRED DALIZON, BERNARD GALANG, & JUN I. LEGASPI