Luigi not okay with Sinulog street parties

Mandaue City mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing

MANDAUE City Mayor Gabriel “Luigi” Quisumbing said he’s not keen on issuing permits for street parties next Sunday, January 21.

“Aside from affecting the solemnity of the feast of Sr. Sto. Niño, we might no longer have enough personnel to provide for the security and traffic as everybody will be at full force deployment that day and we don’t have a day off the following day,” Quisumbing said.

He said he wants Mandaue City’s traffic personnel to return to work at full strength on Monday.

But if the street parties are scheduled this Saturday, Quisumbing said he is amenable to it.

“If this is less than a week complying and processing of the permits, we can not guarantee if they can get a permit as we still have to rely on the police and traffic assessment and approval,” Quisumbing said.

Last Friday, the organizers of “LifeDance” secured a permit after they complied with requirements on security, sanitation, parking and traffic plan.

LifeDance will be held at a vacant lot at the Mandaue City reclamation area adjacent to the Bai Hotel and Park Mall on Friday this week, Jan. 19.

Two other party event organizers have not yet complied with the requirements but one of them already advertised and sold tickets for an event on Jan. 21.

“I think they need to explain why they had been advertising and selling tickets for their Sunday event when they have not yet secured a permit, they assumed they can easily get the permit,” Quisumbing said.

He said he will definitely deny these applicants if they cannot complete their requirements.

The party organizers moved their events to Mandaue City after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña banned street parties during the Sinulog.

Quisumbing said he warned event organizers and nightspots known for being drug hotspots that their permits will be immediately canceled.