Pangasinan cops perform cañao

By May 22, 2016Headlines, News

FOR PEACEFUL POLLS

LINGAYEN—For successfully achieving zero election-related violent incident (ERVI) on election day, May 9, the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office held a cañao, a ritual of thanksgiving.

P/Sr. Supt. Edgar Alan Okubo, officer-in-charge police director and an Ibaloi, initiated the activity Monday, a first for the PPPO, during the awarding of medals to policemen in the province for their outstanding performance that resulted in negative ERVI.

The ritual was performed by policemen wearing traditional costumes belonging to different ethnic tribes/groups from the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).

Okubo said 20 percent of police personnel in Pangasinan are from CAR.

P/Supt. Jeff Fanged, Urdaneta City police chief, explained that Cordillerans traditionally perform the ceremony after a successful activity like the safe elections last May 9.

Seven police officers that included Fanged butchered a native pig as “an offering and thanksgiving to the Almighty” for keeping all policemen in Pangasinan safe in the performance of their duty during the election.

P/Sr. Inspector Dennis Ballitoc, police chief of Labrador town and also from Cordillera, said a tribal chieftain was invited “to interpret” the pig’s liver.

Others who did the cañao were Chief Inspectors Marcos Anod, Tayug police chief; Roger Digmayo, Bolinao police chief; Joshua Maximo, Urbiztondo police chief; Superintendents Joel Garcia of the Pangasinan, Police Public Safety Company, and Roland Sacyat, police chief officer-in-charge of Malasiqui.

P/Chief Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Region 1 police director, arrived to present the medals to the police chiefs for their accomplishments during the polls.

After the cañao, the police officers held a conference, followed by a ‘boodle fight.’

There are about 120 tribal groups in Cordillera and Pangasinan has 40, P/Supt. Ferdinand De Asis, chief of the Police Community Relations, said. (Tita Roces)

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