ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) is deploying 131 police personnel across key areas to secure Chinese New Year celebrations, maintaining heightened visibility amid recent carnapping incidents in the city.
This year, the official Chinese New Year is February 17.
ICPO director Police Colonel Wilbert Parilla said the security setup for the weeklong festivities is already in place, with additional personnel ready to be dispatched if crowd volume increases.
“As usual, we did not change much in our deployment. Considering our recent carnapping incidents, our deployment team is still good, and crime occurrence remains low. If there are activities related to Chinese New Year, we will just add personnel in areas where activities are being held,” Parilla said.
The 131 officers will be assigned to strategic activity venues, particularly in areas expected to draw large gatherings. Parilla said the number of deployed personnel may still be adjusted depending on crowd turnout.
“We will first assess the expected crowd. If we expect a large number of people, we can request additional personnel from the regional office. But if the expected turnout is manageable, ICPO personnel alone can handle it,” he added.
Police assistance desks will also be established at major event sites to provide immediate support and response.
“In the activity areas, there will be police assistance desks, especially in venues with many people,” Parilla said./PN
