Only one theft case mars ‘Peaceful’ Ati-Atihan Festival

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan Festival 2023 was again celebrated with so much noise and flare, literally but in the most peaceful and orderly manner yet.

“It’s peaceful and successful because we recorded no major incident,” Brigadier General Leo Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, said.

Reports from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 indicated that not a case of murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, carnapping, and motornapping occurred during the festival.

Only a single incident of theft was recorded, police records showed.

Francisco attributed the successful outcome to the collaboration, coordination, cooperation, and personal commitment of all members of the Site Task Group Kalibo Atifest 2023.

“We are also thankful for the support extended by the local government of Kalibo and Aklan provincial government,” he said.

The region’s top cop said they adopted a Major Event Security Framework (MESF) and Whole-of-Nation Strategy as part of their security preparations for the Ati-Atihan Festival.

The same strategies were also used in 2020, the last in-person Ati-Atihan Festival before the pandemic. At that time, police only recorded two cases of physical injury.

Francisco also ascribed the success of the security coverage to the extensive security operations, deployment of thousands of police personnel, other law enforcement agencies, and peacekeeping volunteers who manned the entrance and exits of the festival zones, as well as the establishment of checkpoints and chokepoints.

“Ako po at ang aking buong kapulisan ay nagpapasalamat sa ating partner agencies, stakeholders and force multipliers at sa komunidad sa inyong tulong at kooperasyon para sa payapa and tahimik na pagdiriwang ng Kalibo Atifest 2023. Ipagpatuloy po natin ang ating pagtutulungan para sa katahimikan at kapayapaan ng buong Western Visayas,” Francisco said.

He added that the same framework and strategy will also be used for the Dinagyang Festival.

But they would have separate teams of policemen who will augment the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).