Police: Sinulog crowd behaved

CEBU, Philippines - This year’s Sinulog Grand Parade drew a bigger crowd and more party-goers in the evening, but even so, there was no major untoward incident that reached the police, Cebu City Police Office head Mariano Natuel said.

Natuel said he received a report of a brief rumble between two groups outside Mango Square but it was patched up immediately by the police.

Mango Square is a favorite hangout in Cebu City whether or not it’s Sinulog. Last Sunday night, it was filled again with party-goers with the disco and other forms of entertainment that lasting until morning.

The rest of the streets in the city were also filled with people for the street parties, which were supposedly prohibited this year by the City Traffic Operations Management.

Natuel said they have not apprehended a single person hosting the street parties. He said the police were so busy safeguarding security that they did not give much priority to this.

“I also told our police officers to observe maximum tolerance. This is fiesta so everybody is entitled to merry-making as long as tolerable lang ang ilang behavior,” Natuel said.

The crowd that watched the Grand Parade was also generally peaceful, Natuel said, with only minor incidents related to the Sinulog reported.

A consolidated report from the 11 different police stations under CCPO presented by Natuel yesterday showed that 15 children were separated from their parents, 13 of which were reported in the Fuente Police Station.

Six pickpocket incidents, nine traffic incidents with physical injury and damage to property, one robbery and one arrest for drunkenness were also reported.

The CCPO officer-in-charge said he will put up pedestrian lanes in the major intersections for the Sinulog next year to avoid road congestion.

Natuel said he will also suggest to the city government to put up more bleachers in major avenues to lessen people on the road and install traffic signages for passenger jeepneys.

He further said showbiz personalities and politicians riding on floats will no longer be allowed to throw freebies into the crowd.

Peace in the province

The rest of Cebu province had a peaceful Sinulog celebration based on the assessment of Deputy Provincial Director for Operation, Supt. Julian Entoma.

Entoma said there was no untoward incident reported in Cebu province as the Sinulog celebrations were observed.

Even if the Cebu Provincial Police Office deployed about 150 personnel to help augment he security force of Cebu City, Entoma said, they were still securing their various areas of responsibility.

Police were also securing wharfs and terminals as devotees headed back to their towns yesterday.

“Gi-monitor sad namo ang mga vessels labi na kadtong pabalik na sa laing mga probinsya,” Entoma said.

Entoma said CPPO personnel were still conducting checkpoints and police visibility.

“At least safe sila kay naay police sa kadalanan unya makapangayo dayon sila ug tabang kung kinahanglan,” Entoma said.   (FREEMAN)