DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 December)—Around 1,200 police personnel will be deployed in 43 churches in Davao City for Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo.
Misa de Gallo at the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. MindaNews file photo
Capt. Hazel Tuazon, Davao City Police Office spokesperson, said the churches are being prioritized in line with the full alert status of the city after the Advent Sunday Mass bombing at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City.
The DCPO also mandated a one-entrance, one-exit policy during Simbang Gabi.
Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of early morning Masses celebrated in the Philippines leading up to Christmas Day. Held from December 16 to 24, these Masses are an important part of Filipino Catholic tradition, serving as a way to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ.
“We at DCPO are preparing and we will double our security measures for the Simbang Gabi. We ensure that police presence is already there in our 43 churches before Masses start,” Tuazon said in the vernacular in a press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel Wednesday.
Tuazon urged Mass attendees to cooperate with the police during inspections in entering church premises.
Despite DCPO saying that they received no threats in connection with the MSU bombing, Tuazon said they are keen to intensify police presence among key places in the city, such as parks, city borders, and tourist attractions.
This was raised as the security situation in Eastern Mindanao, which includes Davao Region, has been upgraded from “full alert” to “high alert status” to ensure high-security measures after the MSU bombing.
Notably, Colonel Ariel Acala, chief of the operation division of Area Police Command-Eastern Mindanao, said during the “Wednesdays Media Forum at the Habi at Kape” last December 6 that more police personnel will be deployed, more checkpoints will be conducted, and stricter security measures will be enforced at the borders.
It can be noted that the upgraded alert status within Davao Region, Caraga, and Central Mindanao prompted the strengthening of all border control points and checkpoints to ensure the safety and security of the public.
Aside from the churches, Tuazon said the DCPO will intensify police presence in Pasko Fiesta events and other similar conventions and gatherings. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
