The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be deploying 12,000 policemen in all cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria across the country in order to ensure their strict adherence to quarantine protocols, and to properly implement the closure of these areas from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, PNP deputy chief for Administration and concurrent commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, said policemen will be in charge of securing cemeteries and similar places where people are expected to converge for the observation of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) earlier ordered the closure of the cemeteries, memorial parks, columbaria, and similar areas across the country from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 as part of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The IATF instead urged the public to honor their departed loves ones earlier than the traditional Undas or after the Nov. 4 closure.
“Our policemen will assist the local government units in ensuring that minimum health safety standards are observed and that no people will be allowed in those areas on the scheduled date of closure,” said Eleazar.
He said the policemen will be augmented by at least 17,000 force multipliers composed mainly of barangay security officers and personnel of the city and municipal Public and Order Safety.
Based on the IATF guidelines, cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria are only allowed to operate at 30 percent capacity.
Eleazar also appealed to the public to check the respective travel protocols in their home areas and in the places where they would visit their departed loves ones to avoid trouble since some LGUs have restricted rules on travel.
“Before going to a certain place, they have to check the existing travel protocols so that they would know what to comply for a hassle-free travel,” said Eleazar.
On the other hand, Eleazar said existing security measures such as the ban on carrying liquor, deadly weapons, and other devices that would encourage mass gatherings will also be implemented.