Peaceful observance amid crowded sites

POLICE officials from Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu acknowledged the volunteers’ role in keeping the peace and order during the All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day celebrations.

Senior Supt. Petronelli Baldebrin, Mandaue City Police Office chief, said at least 600 security personnel composed of policemen and civilian anti-crime volunteers were deployed to secure the cemeteries, pier areas, jeepney and bus terminals and malls and other public places in the city.

Baldebrin estimated the crowd at the cemeteries in Mandaue City to reach 40,000 people on those two days.

Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of the Investigation Detection Management Branch, said that no untoward incident happened in the seven cemeteries in Mandaue City except for the confiscation of knives brought by visitors at the entrance of the cemeteries.

In Lapu-Lapu City, there were 271 individuals made up of police and volunteers, who secured the cemeteries and other public places.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said there were at least 15,000 people in  the cemetery in barangay Humay-Humay in Nov. 1 and thousands more at the Mactan Memorial Garden in barangay Marigondon.

Baldebrin and Lawas said there were no untoward incidents that happened during Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Lawas said there were crimes that happened in the city but it wasn’t related to the celebration.

He was referring to the shooting of a waitress last Nov. 1 a few blocks away from the Humay-Humay cemetery and a stabbing incident near a gasoline station also a few blocks away from the cemetery.

In Cebu City, City Traffic Operations Management enforcers said there were only minor traffic incidents in the city such as jeepneys making a U-turn in no U-turn areas.

In San Nicolas cemetery, at least 20 traffic enforcers helped ease the traffic in the area./Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza with a report from Correspondents Fe Marie Dumaboc and Tweeny M. Malinao