Antique: The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) will heighten police visibility among convergence areas starting Wednesday with the anticipated influx of people for the Holy Week vacation. Lt. Col. Willy Diel, APPO Information Officer, said in an interview Tuesday that officers will be deployed in churches, plazas, terminals, and beach resorts to ensure the security of pilgrims and tourists.
According to Philippine News Agency, Diel mentioned that additional teams will be deployed in the municipalities of San Jose de Buenavista and Sibalom on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. 'There's usually a big influx of people in San Jose de Buenavista and Sibalom because of the religious procession, so there will be APPO personnel for augmentation in the two towns,' he said.
Diel reminded the public to be alert against lawless elements who might take advantage of the Holy Week observance to commit crimes. He urged the public to immediately report suspicious activities so that they could be responded to. 'Aside from the mobile teams, there will also be covert police officers,' Diel said.
Meanwhile, the Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) and the eight district hospitals in the province are on 'Code White Alert' or ready to attend to patients needing emergency care. 'Antique health personnel are on duty with logistics during the entire Holy Week observance,' Antique IPHO Information Officer Irene Duldoco said in an interview. Duldoco advised against too much sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to prevent heat stroke.
