The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the first day of ‘Simbang Gabi’ (Dawn Mass) went generally peaceful with no untoward incident reported to authorities.
“There was no report of any untoward incident at the beginning of Simbang Gabi. Hopefully, these nine days will end without any serious incidents being recorded,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said in an interview over Teleradyo Serbisyo Radyo 630.
“Earlier in the churches that we monitored, the number of people was large, but so far it has been peaceful,” she added.
Fajardo said the early morning masses were well attended by practicing Filipino Catholics. Police elements were deployed hours in advance to churches nationwide in anticipation of the crowds.
“Just a few hours before Simbang Gabi, the police have been deployed. There is also a police assistance desk, in addition to mobile and police patrols around the church,” Fajardo said.
The Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of masses attended by Filipino Catholics ahead of Christmas. The celebrations usually start at as early as 3:00 a.m. Some are held every night around 7:00 p.m. onwards.
Fajardo said the PNP is not monitoring any threat during the holiday season, but also noted that they will not be too complacent as criminal elements may lurk anytime.
“Coordination with other government agencies is ongoing to make sure we are ready and maintain a proactive stance to make sure the holiday season is secured and safe,” she said.
