Coast Guard starts preparing for Holy Week

The Philippine Coast Guard has started preparing for the exodus of Filipinos to the provinces, with Holy Week just three weeks away. Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo has ordered all Coast Guard districts, stations and detachments to tighten security in their areas, dzBB radio’s Carlo Mateo reported on Sunday. Tamayo has also scheduled meetings with ship owners to have them sell tickets ahead of time and make sure their passenger manifests are accurate. He also said the Coast Guard would keep its sea marshals, Special Operations Groups and K-9 units on alert for terrorists, criminals and attempts to smuggle contraband and explosives. Filipinos are expected to crowd airports and seaports on their way to the provinces during the Holy Week. Tamayo said he does not want a repeat of the sea tragedies that occurred last Christmas season. On December 24, several passengers were killed after the wooden-hulled vessel Catalyn B sank off Cavite province after colliding with the metal-hulled fishing vessel Anatalya. Two days later, the roll-on-roll-off vessel Baleno 9 sank off Batangas. — GMANews.TV