ILOILO CITY – The recent Dinagyang Festival here was generally peaceful, police said.
POLICE stand guard during a 2024 Dinagyang Festival performance in Iloilo City. (PNP ICPO)
Police Col. Joeresty P. Coronica, chief of the Iloilo City Police (ICPO) and head of the security task force for this year’s festivities, attributed the zero crime rate to the deployment of 8,607 security forces.
The security force was composed mainly of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and augmented by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Iloilo City Traffic Management, and force multipliers such as the barangay tanods (watchmen) and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets.
A gun ban was implemented as part of the security plan. A visitor from Capiz province was caught with a gun while trying to enter a mall for a merrymaking event.
“The community witnessed active involvement from various law enforcement agencies within Iloilo City, working together to ensure the success of this year's highly anticipated event,” added Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson.