The observance of All Saints’ Day on Friday, November 1, was generally peaceful, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said no untoward incident was monitored in cemeteries, columbaria, memorial parks and other similar places as Filipinos brave the rains to visit their dearly departed.
“So far, the situation is generally peaceful as no untoward incident [is] recorded,” Fajardo told the Manila Bulletin.
Additional cops were deployed on the ground to ensure that the long weekend will be secure and orderly.
As of 3 p.m., a total of 40,113 police personnel have been fielded by the PNP.
“Our monitoring of the security situation continues this Undas. We expect that our kababayans will continue to flock the cemeteries and columbaria and some will even take advantage of the long weekend to travel to relax and enjoy,” Fajardo said in a separate radio interview with DZEC 1062 Radyo Agila.
“We extended the deployment to different tourist spots. We also extended our PADs [Police Assistance Desks] to major transportation hubs to make sure that our traveling kababayans will be assisted,” she added.
Meanwhile, the PNP reminded the public to secure their homes when leaving to avoid being victimized by criminals.
“Make sure that your doors are locked and windows are closed tightly so that you won’t be victimized by ‘akyat-bahay’ gangs. Secure also your valuable things such as money, jewelries, bicycles and others that are easy to be stolen,” Fajardo said.
“Ensure that there are no lighted candles and all the appliances are removed from the plug before you leave to avoid fire. If you are using a private vehicle, make sure that your car is in a good condition. If you are using public transportation, go to the terminals early and avoid bringing big baggages, money and gadgets, and keep an eye on small children if you are bringing any,” she added.