By Jennifer P. Rendon
The observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2 was generally peaceful in Western Visayas, similar to previous years.
In a statement, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) reported no major incidents related to Undas across the region.
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, PRO-6 recorded 77 crime incidents, a decrease of 11 incidents or 12.5 percent compared to last year’s 88 incidents.
PRO-6 reported 12 incidents involving eight focus crimes: murder, homicide, physical injury, theft, robbery, rape, motor vehicle carnapping, and motorcycle carnapping. This marked a reduction of 10 incidents from last year’s 22 during the same period.
PRO-6 deployed around 2,500 police personnel throughout the region, surpassing its initial projection of 1,900. These officers manned Police Assistance Desks (PADs) at cemeteries, ports, terminals, and other public areas.
Additionally, approximately 1,872 force multipliers were mobilized to assist cemetery visitors.
Brigadier General Jack Wanky, Western Visayas police chief, commended local government units, other government agencies, barangay officials, barangay tanods, force multipliers, rescue groups, and other volunteer organizations for supporting police efforts to secure public spaces, resulting in a peaceful Undas 2024.
“We also commend the public for their cooperation and understanding of cemetery rules,” Wanky said.
Wanky further recognized the commitment of unit commanders and police personnel across the region for their dedicated service.
“As people return to work and students head back to school, we will maintain police visibility and interventions to ensure everyone’s safety and security,” Wanky added.
