Filipino Catholics leaving the church after attending the first of the nine-day dawn mass ahead of Christmas, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao, in Quezon City, Metro Manila on Dec 16, 2024. - Reuters
MANILA: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed over 47,000 personnel across the country to ensure public safety during the holiday season.
“As of 6am, Dec 16, we already deployed more than 47,000 personnel nationwide to ensure the safety of Simbang Gabi (Christmas dawn masses), which started early Monday morning,” PNP spokesperson Brig Gen. Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing on Monday (Dec 16).
“This will last until Jan 6, the end of our Ligtas Paskuhan coverage,” she added.
In an earlier interview with Radyo 630, Fajardo said the start of the nine-day Simbang Gabi was generally peaceful with no untoward incident monitored.
The police force also dispatched mobile and foot patrols to monitor the situation in areas near churches.
Fajardo added that the PNP installed police assistance desks near churches in case of emergency. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
