All Saints' Day 'peaceful'

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) described as generally peaceful the observance of the All Saints’ Day yesterday, with no major problems reported to have taken place in any part of the country.

PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo said there have been no major problems except for traffic, particularly in thoroughfares leading to cemeteries.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. added that other than the arrest of a minor, said to be a member of the Akyat Bahay gang in Marikina, there have been no other untoward incidents.

“In behalf of our PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo, the PNP would like to announce that as of the moment the commemoration of Undas has been generally peaceful,” Cruz said.

“We have monitored minor incidents…we also would like to thank the general public for cooperating with the police and the authorities in maintaining peace and order in the communities in cemeteries and memorial parks,” he said.

The PNP thanked the members of government line agencies, the non-government agencies and the force multipliers who assisted them in performing security and public safety services to the public.

The PNP spokesman said the police regional and provincial directors were given the prerogative to downgrade the alert level in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Bacalzo ordered all policemen nationwide to continue the monitoring, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, with thousands of workers expected to go back to the metropolis.

The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), on the other hand, said it had set up more than 270 first aid stations around 200 major cemeteries in the capital.

Police were also deployed at air and seaports, which have seen an upsurge of passenger traffic for the yearly pilgrimage to the provinces.

In Manila’s South Cemetery, 77-year-old Renato Pilas played down the security threats.

“This is an annual visit to the cemetery and also a celebration of life,” Pilas said while repainting the tomb of two of his sons, who died in childhood more than 40 years ago.

“I come here every year with my wife, and spend the day like a picnic,” he said. “I am at home with the dead.”

The PNRC reported that hundreds of people suffered minor injuries and diseases while visiting their departed loved ones.

PNRC noted that their first aid stations in cemeteries nationwide have provided services to a total of 373 persons and the number continue to increase till the end of the day.

First aid stations were also established along highways, bus terminals and port areas as part of PNRC’s Oplan Undas 2010.

PNRC-Aklan Chapter also took the chance of mounting an anti-HIV campaign among the huge number of people visiting the cemeteries.

Malacañang did not declare Nov. 2 or All Souls’ Day as a holiday, and authorities expect traffic to build up in Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares.

The entire PNP has been placed on full alert since Oct. 29 to ensure the highest state of operational readiness and maximum availability of personnel and resources for public safety and security operations on All Saints’ Day.

P-Noy wants private time with departed loved ones

Meanwhile, President Aquino will visit the tombs of his parents and other loved ones today even as he justified his move not to declare All Saints’ Day a holiday despite appeals from various sectors.

Shortly upon his arrival from Vietnam Sunday night, the President said they would want some privacy to pray and remember their parents, former President Corazon Aquino and former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

The Aquino family had been paying their respects to their loved ones either on Oct. 31 or Nov. 2 because a lot of people had been visiting the tomb of the President’s parents at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.

Mr. Aquino said commemorating their dead along with the rest of the nation on Nov. 1 was quite difficult because of the crowd in the cemetery.

The President explained that he did not declare a holiday today because those earning on a daily basis was considered.

“How about their salary? We need to balance (all concerns). The labor department also says it is quite difficult when Monday is a holiday because the whole week is affected. That’s what the businesses are complaining about, they are asking if it can be done at the end of the week, which is Friday normally,” Mr. Aquino said.

“But in this case, I suppose many have left since Friday and the welfare of our fellowmen who earn on a daily basis should be the priority because job generation is what we want,” he added.

The President also said security forces had been placed on heightened alert following the interception in Britain and Dubai of alleged parcel bombs on planes bound for the United States in the last few days.

However, he said that while these plots were a “cause for concern,” there was no immediate threat “from foreign sources.”

Authorities were concentrating on domestic groups during the observance, where Filipinos flock to the graves of relatives. – Aurea Calica, Mayen Jaymalin, Cecille Suerte Felipe