ICPO flags theft groups ahead of Dinagyang

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has deployed additional intelligence operatives to monitor theft groups believed to be targeting revelers during the upcoming Dinagyang Festival.

ICPO officer-in-charge PCol. Wilbert Parilla said authorities received reports about a group of thieves who allegedly arrived in Iloilo City for that purpose.

“But we’re still following it up. That’s still subject to verification,” Parilla said.

Police said the suspected group may have come from the Feast of Jesús Nazareno in Manila and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu, events that also draw large crowds.

“Every year naman talaga, there are groups who attempt to do their stealing spree,” Parilla said.

On Jan. 14, ICPO personnel arrested two alleged notorious thieves from Aklan province for suspected motor-napping, police said.

Authorities said the two suspects were part of a five-member group that planned to carry out theft activities before and during the Dinagyang celebrations.

Police records showed that only five theft incidents were officially reported during the Dinagyang Festival 2025.

However, police noted that several victims may have opted not to file formal complaints, resulting in possible underreporting.

In a separate operation last year, police arrested four individuals, including a minor, for an alleged mobile phone theft spree in the city.

Personnel from Iloilo City Police Station 4 arrested the suspects, all residents of Metro Manila.

Police recovered 30 mobile phones during the operation.

Meanwhile, during the TG Dinagyang 2026 send-off ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 21, Parilla said the ICPO is committed to ensuring that “Dinagyang 2026 [is] safe, peaceful, and worthy of its global reputation.”

He said Dinagyang is more than a display of colors, drums and dance.

“It is also a celebration of faith, culture, and unity,” Parilla said.

“And with celebrations of this scale comes a shared responsibility—to protect life, to maintain order, and to ensure that joy is never disrupted by fear or uncertainty,” he added.

Parilla told deployed personnel that they are not only law enforcers but also guardians of the celebration, serving as silent protectors behind every smile, drumbeat, and prayer throughout the festival.