Cebu City tightens Holy Week security
CEBU, Philippines — With Holy Week fast approaching, Cebu City is ramping up efforts to ensure peace and order in areas of public convergence, boosting police visibility and presence across the city.
Yesterday, April 10, 2025, officials and police station chiefs of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), members of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), and officials of the Cebu City Government, headed by Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, convened for a meeting.
While Garcia assures that the security measures for the Lenten season are already part of an annual template, he stressed on the need to reiterate specific details, particularly in ports and terminals, which must be filled with police presence and visibility.
“Because you know, when people converge in public places there is always a propensity nga you know naay mga petty crimes, snatching, etcetera,” said Garcia.
To underscore this directive, Garcia said he is set to inspect convergence areas, particularly the ports and terminals, this Wednesday.
In a separate interview, Police Lt. Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, spokesperson for CCPO, said that after the coordination conference with the city government, they have extended their security preparations from Holy Week through the summer season.
According to Macatangay, they already anticipated public convergence, which led them to also direct their attention to securing areas that may be left unattended, to prevent possible robberies.
For this Holy Week, Macatangay said they will begin implementing security measures on Palm Sunday. As of now, she added, their alert level remains at normal status, but they are continuously monitoring the situation to determine if there is a need to heighten it in the coming days.
“Again, dayon dayon na ni sya, until the election,” said Macatangay.
As for the overall peace and order situation in Cebu City, Garcia reiterated his full trust in the police force. This comes after the swift response of law enforcers that prevented an attempted robbery at Palladium Suites Hotel along Osmeña Boulevard early Tuesday morning, April 8.
Garcia said this was the result of intensified police visibility and the regular conduct of Oplan Bulabog, which highlights police enforcement during nighttime in public places. Currently, Garcia said the city has already installed at least 50 outposts, which he also credited for the swift police response.
This Monday, Garcia is also set to turn over another set of mobility assets in the form of mountain bikes, which will aid police in patrolling interior portions of barangays. He added that this is another way of enhancing police visibility and presence as part of crime deterrence efforts.
“I am very much satisfied (police force) kay nakita gyud nako based sa ilang gi report nako nga ni decrease gyud ang crime diri sa Cebu and ni increase ang crime efficiency,” said Garcia.
“I give them a reassurance that the City Government of Cebu will always support them in whatever way we can,” he added.
The country’s Holy Week observance will begin on Sunday, April 13, and conclude on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. —Decemay Padilla/ATO (CEBU NEWS)
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