Police ready for Dinagyang
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is 90 percent ready for this year's Dinagyang celebration. The police preparedness will be tested in today's opening salvo where 20 tribes will partly show some of their performances in the city's major thoroughfares.
Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga, Iloilo City Police Director, said several policemen will be fielded in the streets to maintain peace and order, control the crowd and same time help in traffic management. They are in full-alert status.
The opening salvo will serve as an acid test to the peace and order preparation plan of the PNP. Not all of the forces intended for deployment in the two-day highlights of the celebration, which is the Kasadyahan and Ati competitions, but the PNP will have an initial view of the celebration.
Barayuga said they will deploy some 6,000 police force during the Dinagyang highlights. The security force is composed of ROTC students, police and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Aside from the personnel, the AFP will also bring their K-9 dogs to assist the police. There will also be augmentation force from the Regional Mobile Force.
As a routine, K-9 dogs are used to sniff or detect any explosives, drugs and deadly weapons in different judging areas particularly at the Freedom Grandstand where foreign dignitaries, national officials and local officials are around to witness the yearly ati festival. Some 50 joint police and armed forces personnel are also tasked to secure every performing stage.
Police personnel will also monitor and serve as "eyes and ears" in the 10 hotels in Iloilo City. Foreign, national and local tourists visitors are set to billet in the different hotels in the city. As early as December, several tourists have already made reservations in the city's hotels.
While, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) will conduct checkpoints in entry towns of Iloilo such as in San Miguel, Oton, Pavia and Leganes, said Barayuga.
He said the PNP is targeting " a zero crime rate." Thus, preparations are made for the celebration. The preparations not only include the security of visitors but police also raised concerns on the presence of pickpockets in the city.
Pickpockets not only from Iloilo but also from Bacolod City, Cebu and even in Manila usually troop to the city during the Dinagyang season targeting revelers of their valuables.
To address this problem, Barayuga said they have already posted several police personnel in the ports of Iloilo to monitor the presence of these pickpockets.
The city director urged the revelers and the spectators to be vigilant. They have to immediately report to the police if they found an abandoned bag. Spectators are also advised to keep their expensive personal belongings. Showing these personal belongings such as expensive cellphones will only give the pickpockets an opportunity to do their illegal trade, said Barayuga.