The observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in Bacolod City was generally peaceful, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said yesterday.
In a radio interview, BCPO Director for Operations Lt. Colonel Lester Leada said they recorded no major incidents in the city during Undas from November 1 to 2.
The BCPO also received no reports of robbery incidents.
Leada said their police deployment plan, in relation to Oplan Ligtas Undas, was properly implemented.
He added that residents cooperated with their request, especially by refusing to bring prohibited items inside the cemetery.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) said the observance of Undas in the region was also generally peaceful.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Jack Wanky said they recorded no major incidents during Undas.
He said they reported 89 crime incidents from October 31 to November 2, a significant decline in incidents compared to 100 recorded in the same period last year.
“We recognize the sacrifices and commitment of our unit commanders and all police personnel across the region for truthfully and dedicatedly performing their individual tasks that led to a peaceful 2024 Undas,” Wanky said.
More than 2,500 police personnel were deployed for Undas in the provinces of Negros Occidental, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, as well as the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.
Exodus
The Philippine Coast Guard-Northern Negros Occidental (PCG-NNO) recorded 22,697 travelers this Undas through seven seaports.
PCG-NNO data, as of Saturday, November 2, showed 11,566 inbound and 11,131 outbound passengers entered and exited through several seaports in the northern part of the province.
San Carlos City recorded the highest number of passengers with 880, followed by Bacolod (648), Victorias City (292), Escalante City (195), Pulupandan town (95), and Cadiz City (51).
The PCG-NNO said 4,576 rolling cargoes — 2,169 outbound and 2,407 inbound — went through inspections by its personnel./WDJ