Police ready to beef up security in churches

POLICE SAID it is ready to deploy more uniformed personnel and intensify security patrol in areas near churches or places of worships after a man armed with a gun and a knife was shot dead while trying to enter the Archbishop’s Palace in Cebu last week.

Police Director General Oscar Albayalde although church leaders have not asked for security, it is better to be ready to deploy policemen in those areas to ensure safety at all times. But police said many priest and pastors, and even lay leaders have applied for gun permits following the recent killings of two Catholic priests.

“Una wala naman silang request sa atin, but then again, kung kinakailangan bigyan and if we see na mayroong threat doon sa mga kaparian doon sa loob then we will provide additional security or intensify patrols in the vicinity ng mga churches or kung saan sila nakatira,” Albayalde said.

Police said Jeffrey Cañedo, 41, was killed after he allegedly opened fire at the lawmen who responded to his presence at the Archbishop’s Palace.

Archbishop Jose Palma was not in Cebu at that time and went to Manila for the 117th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Church security personnel called police to apprehend the man who had run away as they tried to stop him from entering the gate.

Cañedo reportedly wanted to talk to Palma about his problem with his wife.