TACLOBAN CITY - A total of 1,643 police personnel were deployed for the "Oplan Ligtas Paskuhan 2020" in Eastern Visayas.
Apart from ensuring the safety of churchgoers during the Simbang Gabi, they were also placed in various areas of convergence to ensure that minimum health protocols are being followed to avoid the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases during the holidays.
President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier urged the public to skip Christmas festivities this year and avoid holiday traditions for the safety of everyone amid the prevailing COVID-19 threat.
A number of local government units in Eastern Visayas have also prohibited Christmas parties, reunions, and face-to-face caroling.
Lt. Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, Regional Public Information Officer of Police Regional Office 8, said the 1,643 cops were deployed aside from the force multipliers.
She added that the first day of the Simbang Gabi has been generally peaceful with no untoward incident reported.