INSPECTION. Police Regional Office-7 chief, Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin interacts with an Augustinian friar during his inspection at the Pilgrim Center of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City on Wednesday (Dec. 6, 2023). The PNP in Central Visayas is on full alert following the recent bombing in Marawi City. (Photo courtesy of PRO-7)
CEBU CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Visayas on Wednesday inspected different religious sites in Cebu where churchgoers converge for celebration amid the recent bombing in Marawi City.
Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, director of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, said the regular inspection was also in line with the coming Christmas holidays and Cebu’s biggest celebration in January where devotees of the Sto. Niño converged in the capital city to celebrate the Fiesta Señor.
“This is part of the early preparations for the upcoming Sinulog Festival this January 2024,” Aberin said.
The police general, along with a few staff of the PRO-7, visited Cebu’s largest historical and religious site, Basilica Minore del Sr. Sto. Niño and the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to ensure appropriate security measures in every activity are in place.
Regular monitoring and inspection are needed to thwart any incident similar to the recent bombing at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City that claimed the lives of four students and injured 44 others.
The Cebu provincial police are also on full alert.
“Every police station in the province is all on board in strengthening measures. We need to be more proactive,” Cebu provincial police spokesperson Major Wendel Abellana.
The provincial police, Abellana said, is in constant coordination with the Muslim community in Cebu, and part of their partnership is reporting new faces in their communities and monitoring their movements to avoid spillover of the violence in Central Visayas.
Aside from churches and other religious sites, the police are also trained their eyes on other public places and vital installations that may be the target of terrorist attacks.
They have also deployed more policemen in the streets to deter plans to disrupt the holidays. (PNA)
