Mt. Calvary, the annual pilgrimage site of Catholic devotees, is located on top of a hill in Barangay Sta. Lourdes, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. (Photo by Celeste Anna R. Formoso)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- The police forces in the city and the entire province are on full alert to provide security during the Holy Week and the March 29 anniversary of the New People’s Army (NPA).
In Puerto Princesa, Senior Inspector Pearl Lamban-Marzo, the spokesperson of the City Police Office, said around 510 police personnel and 65 field trainees will be deployed for rotational roving patrols in the pilgrimage site of Mt. Calvary in Barangay Sta. Lourdes, bus and jeepney terminals, the airport, seaports, and major churches.
“We started deploying our police personnel over the weekend. But today (Monday), we already went on full alert to ensure that the observance of the Holy Week will be peaceful,” she said.
Alcoholic drinks, bladed weapons, and firearms will also be banned from Mt. Calvary, where many residents go during the Holy Week to do the religious crossing.
“Bladed weapons for the food service are all right. But those that nobody normally brings in annual celebrations like this will have to be banned,” she said.
In the popular tourist town of El Nido, Senior Inspector Lodell Lota said their municipal police station will be setting up a police assistance desk at the pier for local and domestic tourists.
Security and safety in the entire town and the island's destinations in Bacuit Bay, El Nido, will be jointly done with the Coast Guard Substation, the Philippine Navy under Naval Forces West and the Joint Task Force Malampaya.
“We will be on full security alert, especially on March 29, the anniversary celebration of the NPA following orders from our higher command,” Lota said.
In Coron, another tourist-frequented town in Palawan, Senior Inspector Michael Von Agbisit said a police assistance desk will be set up at the municipal pier to ensure the security of arriving tourists.
“During the weekend, we already started increasing our mobile patrols and police visibility in Coron for the Holy Week, and we will be on full alert until March 31,” he said.
Agbisit added that around 16 police personnel from the Regional Mobile Security Battalion had been fielded to boost the manpower of the 21 municipal police forces.
“We have not received any intelligence report that there is a threat when the NPA celebrates on Thursday (March 29), but it’s always better to be ready,” he said. (PNA)
