Cops assure safe, peaceful Ormoc, Tacloban fiestas

TACLOBAN CITY –– Police have assured that the fiestas of Tacloban and Ormoc cities in Leyte this month would be safe and orderly.

Col. Lope Macauba, Jr., deputy director for administration of the Tacloban City Police Office, and Col. Joel Camacho, deputy director for operations of the Ormoc City Police Office, said they had laid down security preparations to ensure a peaceful celebration.

Ormoc celebrates its fiesta every June 29 in honor of its patron saints, Peter and Paul. The next day, Tacloban City celebrates the feast of its patron, Senior Santo Niño.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend in both fiestas as their respective local government units have lined up several activities to make the celebrations lively and colorful.

Among the highlights of the Tacloban fiesta is the holding of the Sangyaw Parade of Lights. For Ormoc, it is the Piña Festival.

Macauba said enough security personnel would be deployed in areas where people usually converge, particularly at the Balyu-an area where nightly activities were being staged.

“We have made the security preparation since May 30 and we have deployed more than enough security personnel at Balyu-an Amphitheater,” he said.

Aside from police, they have also coordinated with other security personnel like the Army and traffic personnel of the Tacloban city government.

Macauba said members of the Tacloban city police ordnance division and K-9 were also deployed at Balyu-an Amphitheater.

“We have also deployed inside the Balyu-an Amphitheater in plain clothes,” he said.

Camacho said they also drew their own security preparation for the Ormoc fiesta.

He said security personnel was being deployed in areas where major events relative to the fiesta celebration are held.

“So far, we have not monitored any untoward incident,” Camacho said. (Editor: Leti Boniol)