Cops to secure churches during Holy Thursday, Good Friday
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) will deploy uniformed and non-uniformed police personnel in the different places of convergence to avert untoward incidents relative the observance of the Holy Week.
ICPO Director Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga said police will be stationed in the different churches in the city to ensure the safety of the faithfuls. Cops likewise will be posted in routes where the procession passes through.
In the Catholic practice, all priests will renew their vow of priesthood on Holy Thursday. Here, it will be held at the Jaro Cathedral. There will be no masses in the morning of Holy Thursday. Masses are being celebrated in the afternoon. There will also be visitations to the Blessed Sacrament.
On Friday, there will be Stations of the Cross in the morning. During the Station of the Cross people think of the sufferings of Jesus Christ for His love to mankind. There are 14 Stations of the Cross. In the evening, there will be a procession in the different parishes to reflect on the death of Jesus Christ.
Each parish activity will last until Sunday with the celebration of Easter Sunday. There are family gatherings to celebrate Christ's resurrection. During this time, families troop to the malls or beaches in the city.
Barayuga said, checkpoints will be put up in every entrance and exit points of each district. The checkpoints will be manned by four teams of police personnel. During checkpoints, police operatives confiscate firearms and bladed weapons. If they are lucky enough, they can intercept stolen cars and motorcycles.
The police force will also be augmented by barangay tanods in each district. The barangay tanods will likewise be positioned near the churches. Other than the Holy Week peace and order preparation, barangay tanods also help the police in making rounds especially in subdivisions.
The police director also warned church-goers to keep watch of their personal belongings such as wallets and cellular phones when going to crowded places. Thieves and pickpockets are present in crowded places like the church to look for possible victims.
For the past three months, police were able to arrest number of pickpockets. There are suspects who even came from as far as Negros Occidental. Some suspects, however, remain scot-free after the victims refuse to file cases especially when their belongings are recovered.