Labella: Secure cemeteries, ensure public convenience

CEBU – The Cebu City Hall asked the police and caretakers of various cemeteries to maintain peace and order during the observance of the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Councilor Edgardo Labella said the police should make sure their contingency plans for the two-day event are already prepared because the City Council already approved the food budget for policemen and barangay tanods who will help maintain peace and order at cemeteries.

The council has already passed the resolution of Councilor Eugenio “Jingjing” Faelnar, president of the Association of Barangay Councils, to appropriate P270,000 for the food of the peacekeeping personnel who will be assigned in 11 public and private cemeteries in the city.

“It cannot be denied that the thick concentration of people inside private and public cemeteries during All Souls Day is indeed a serious security concern to various law enforcement agencies,” Labella said.

But Cebu City police director, Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, said he already has the contingency plans and has already identified the personnel to be deployed in the various cemeteries, while the barangay officials were also required to deploy their tanods to augment the police force.

Comendador said the police will strictly enforce City Ordinance 512 that prohibits anybody from getting drunk in public places. The bringing of intoxicating liquor or alcoholic beverages, and deadly weapons inside cemeteries will also be banned.

Meanwhile, Labella also asked the caretakers to start cleaning up the cemeteries this early.

Citing a provision of the city sanitary code, he said that cemetery caretakers should see to it that directional signs to guide the public for easy location of the tombs of their departed loved ones are put in place, as well as trash bins in strategic places. — Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)