PNP all set for All Saints’ Day

National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Edgar Aglipay ordered yesterday all Metro police districts to double their alert and intensify patrols in bus terminals with the expected crowd of province-bound travellers observing All Saints’ Day on Wednesday.

Aglipay’s directive came after Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim ordered the Philippine National Police to map out plans to ensure the safety of passengers. Lim also said the PNP must make sure of that traffic flows smoothly.

"Our police must be visible on the streets to deter criminal elements from pursuing illegal activities," the chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government stressed.

The mass exodus of people for the provinces is expected to start tomorrow, the last day of regular work before a three-day uninterrupted holiday.

Most offices usually allow half-day work on Oct. 31, while Malacañang has declared Nov. 2 a special holiday following the regular holiday on Nov. 1.

In his directive to the five police districts in the metropolis, Aglipay ordered the setting up of police assistance booths in all bus terminals to assist and provide security to commuters.

Aglipay also ordered the arrest of scalpers who charge exorbitant fares and take advantage of the mad rush to board the buses.

A traffic rerouting plan will be implemented in all traffic-prone areas leading to cemeteries such as the La Loma cemetery in Caloocan, the Loyola memorial parks in Makati and Parañaque, the Chinese and North cemeteries in Manila and the Holy Cross and Himlayang Pilipino memorial parks in Quezon City.

At the same time, Aglipay reiterated that drinking liquor, gambling, carrying of deadly weapons and playing loud music inside the cemeteries are prohibited.

A public assistance booth will also be posted in the cemeteries, while patrol policemen and mobile cars will roam around the area to ensure peace and order as well as maintain proper and orderly selling by ambulant vendors.

Police are also tasked to coordinate with barangay tanods for effective patrol systems in areas where residents leave their homes for the holidays.

Residents are also advised to inform their barangay officials if they will be leaving their homes uninhabited during the holidays.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Construction Corp., which manages the North and South Luzon Expressways, announced that appropriate measures have been put in place to help the thousands of motorists visiting their loved ones in the provinces.

Bus owners urged: Be systematic

For its part, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board called on provincial bus owners to come up with measures to maintain order in their terminals.

LTFRB Chairman Dante Lantin said bus operators should also deploy more security personnel in their terminals to prevent untoward incidents like snatching and pickpocketing.

"Lawless elements might take advantage of the holidays. Over-crowded bus stations are usually the favorite place of these people in times like this," he said.

The LTFRB wanted bus terminals to adopt strategies that will ensure order while passengers are lining up for tickets and their bus seats.

Lantin added that the days when passengers fought over bus seats should be a thing of the past. "I don’t think this will happen if bus owners only have a system. They only need more personnel to attend to their passengers."

The Board urged bus companies to be operational 24 hours a day to ensure that province-bound passengers don’t get stranded. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe