ILOILO City – Thousands of security forces. Gun ban. Mobile phone signal shutdown. The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) is not leaving anything to chance in its security preparations for the Dinagyang Festival 2020.
Over 4,000 security personnel would be mobilized, according to Lieutenant Mercylin Duero of the ICPO’s Operations Division.
Of the 4,000 personnel, 2,292 are policemen. The rest are force multipliers (from the Philippine Army and Philippine Coast Guard).
The two-day highlights of the festival are on Jan. 25 (Dagyang sa Calle, religious sadsad, sponsors’ mardi gras) and Jan. 26 (ati tribes competition).
According to Duero, permits to carry firearms outside of residences will likely be cancelled.
The ICPO already made such a request to the Philippine National Police national headquarters in Camp Crame but is yet to receive a reply, said Duero.
If approved, the cancellation will take effect two days before the two-day festival highlights, said Duero.
The ICPO will also be prohibiting the carrying of backpacks and bringing of glass bottles, pointed, sharp and bladed objects.
Duero said the police will be strictly enforcing, too, the curfew on minors.
Drinking binges along sidewalks and streets will be disallowed. Duero said there are specific kiosks for these regulated by the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. which the city government of Iloilo tasked to organize this year’s edition of Dinagyang.
Police personnel will be divided into 11 sectors, six of which will be stationed in the City Proper, and specifically along the Dinagyang ati tribes’ parade routes and judging areas.
The judging areas are the Iloilo City Freedom Grandstand, corner Iznart-Solis streets, corner Ledesma-Valeria streets, and Ma. Clara Street.
Also for security reasons, there would be a temporary shutdown of mobile phone signals within three-kilometer radius of the judging/performance areas on Jan. 26.
Terrorists could detonate improvised explosive devices using cell phone signals, explained the National Telecommunications Commission and Philippine National Police./PN
