City to enforce ‘anti-drunkenness’ rule

CEBU, Philippines —  For a “peaceful” holding of Pasigarbo sa Sugbo today, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has asked the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to strictly enforce the anti-drunkenness ordinance.

The mayor said he sent a letter to CCPO PCOL Director Gemma Vinluan last Friday to apprehend violators of City Ordinance No. 1929 during the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

“What is City Ordinance No. 1929? To prevent people from drinking liquor during the festivity,” he told reporters.

Labella said thousands of people will flock to the city to witness the event that is considered as the festival of all festivals.

The event will take place at the Cebu City Sports Center.

“If there are so many people and then they drink alcohol, they might misbehave,” he added.

The prohibition of drunkenness in public places will be implemented from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight today.

In the letter to Vinluan, Labella has ordered to apprehend violators of the said ordinance.

“Aside from the deployment of police officers to ensure peace and order during the event, I would like to ask you to strictly enforce Cebu City Ordinance No. 1929 which penalizes drunkenness in any public place, and apprehend violators of the said ordinance,” the mayor said.

Since the province is expecting a huge crowd to attend the event, the mayor has also asked Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan, Capitol Site Captain Manuel Guanzon, Sambag 1 Barangay Captain Ailien Guardo, Sambag II Barangay Captain Ryan Aznar and Calamba Barangay Captain Victor Quijano to deploy barangay tanods today.

The deployment of barangay tanods will not only be an augmentation of the police force but also an augmentation for the supervision of traffic flow since there are re-routing of jeepney routes, the mayor said.

Labella also asked the public to bear with the temporary change of the routes of some public utility jeep because of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

There will also be road closure from N. Escario Street in front of the Capitol to the Cebu City Sports Center from 11 a.m. until the event will end. — GAN (FREEMAN)