- Over 13,000 integrated security forces to secure public, private cemeteries
MORE THAN 13,000 integrated security personnel will be deployed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 to secure 34 cemeteries across the city to commemorate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Speaking at the Davao City Peace and Security Press Corps on Oct. 30, Angel Sumagaysay, chief of the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO), said they held a series of coordination meetings with private cemeteries in preparation for Undas 2024.
“We have 34 cemeteries, most of which are public, while the larger ones are privately owned. During our coordination meetings, we presented our security plan for Undas 2024 and released guidelines,” Sumagaysay said.
He added that 13,136 integrated security personnel will be deployed, including members from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Ancillary Service Unit (ASU), City Transport and Traffic Management Office, Task Force Davao, DCPO, and PSSO, with an average daily deployment of 3,284 personnel.
Davao City Police Office spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon said soft deployments began on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
She mentioned that guidelines have been established for the public and concessionaires inside and outside the cemeteries, particularly for private ones.
Prohibited items include jackets, loud music, overnight stays (except where private cemeteries allow it at management’s discretion), drones, firearms, bladed weapons, pointed objects, tumblers, and more.
Public cemeteries will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. while private cemetery hours will depend on management decisions.
“All parties agree to the rules inside and outside the cemeteries, and these will be implemented effectively starting tomorrow [October 31]. We have begun soft deployments because many people visited the cemeteries yesterday to avoid crowds on Nov. 1 and 2,” Sumagaysay added.
“These guidelines will help avoid confusion on the ground and inform the deployed personnel,” he further stated.
“In addition to the cemeteries, we are also monitoring the coastal road, as some visitors prefer island hopping instead of visiting cemeteries. The maritime police will work alongside the Davao City Police Office and Task Force Davao to ensure visibility in tourist spots, particularly in protected areas in the hinterlands,” Sumagaysay explained.
Tuazon urged the public to coordinate with community and security clusters to achieve zero incidents during Undas 2024 and to ensure that no one ends up in jail.
“We have also deployed personnel at terminals,” she added.
Moreover, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Babac, commander of the 1001st Infantry Brigade, said they will support the police to secure the cemeteries within their area of responsibility in Maco, Davao de Oro.
As of Wednesday afternoon, integrated forces designated to provide security during Undas were deployed during a send-off ceremony at the DCPO headquarters.
Photo courtesy of Rhoda Grace Saron
