Thousands of policemen and other personnel are still being deployed and are on full alert for the Centennial celebrations of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) at the Ciudad De Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan. As of 5:30 am this morning, all PNP members and other government authorities in the area are ‘on their toes’ as the event goes on full swing today.
Despite some ‘raucous crowds’ that trooped to the area, particularly to the Philippine Arena, since yesterday morning, the event has been called relatively peaceful and well-organized. Both INC and various government officials have been preparing for traffic and safety management of today’s celebration for weeks, if not months on end.
The Office of the President, through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, also issued Memorandum Circular No. 66, creating Task Force Sentenaryo for the anniversary today, taking note of the “massive scale of the event” which millions of INC members from the Philippines and abroad are expected to join.
Task Force Sentenaryo is headed by Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, with the following as members: Secretary of Defense Voltaire Gazmin; Secretary of Interior and Local Government Manuel Roxas II; Secretary of Public Works Rogelio Singson; Secretary of Health Enrique Ona; Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office; Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces Chief of Staff; Director General Alan Purisima, chief of the Philippine National Police; Winston Ginez, chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board; Juan Sta. Ana, general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority; Jose Angel Honrado, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority; Edmundo Reyes, executive director of the Toll Regulatory Board; and, a representative from the Iglesia ni Cristo.
Newspaper reports (c/o The Inquirer) have stated that The Task Force was in charge of all the “actions and responses in connection with the INC event.”
The inter-agency task force was also tasked to ensure smooth coordination between the public and private sector, maintain peace and order, ensure the safety of the participants, and prepare a traffic management plan during the INC Centennial Celebration.
Despite such preparations, reports have come in that the main route to Bocaue as of early this morning is no longer passable. The NLEX northbound highway is now being called a ‘virtual parking lot’ as thousands of vehicles, most of which carried INC members to the event have parked along the side of the road.
Both public and private vehicles can no longer enter through the said highway. Many INC members have resulted to walking for several kilometers just to reach the Philippine Arena, authorities said. Various religious activities are scheduled throughout the day until the rest of the week.