Cellphone use barred during Sinulog
USE of cellphones will be banned in certain areas during the Fiesta Señor next year.
The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) will ask telecom companies to shut down their mobile phone signals in Cebu City during the Sinulog 2019 celebration, in areas where there will be activities related to the fiesta, such as the procession and the street dancing.
PRO 7 Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, announced yesterday that they will adapt the plan of suspending cellphone signals for a certain number of hours during the celebration of Fiesta Señor.
“Actually they have suspended signal (this year). We will adapt it (next year),” said Sinas in a press conference on Friday.
He said this security measure was agreed upon during the meeting with stakeholders yesterday.
Sinas and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Senior Supt. Royina Garma met with the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño represented by Fr. Aladin Luzon, chairman of Public Order and Safety committee of Fiesta Señor, and the Cebu City Government lead by Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, Sinulog Foundation Inc. overall chairperson of the executive committee.
Both Fr. Luzon and Tumulak supported the plan of shutting down the signal, said Sinas.
“Nag-approve na ang Basilica and the city government that they will support the idea to suspend the signal on the actual procession and street parade,” said Sinas.
In a separate interview, Tumulak said that the plan of shutting down cellphone signals has not yet been discussed with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña but he said that this will be supported.
“The police know better what to do for the security plan,” said Tumulak.
This will be the third year that mobile phone signal shut down will be implemented during the festivity that is expected to draw thousands of devotees for the religious activities and the Sinulog grand parade.
“The reason behind kasi sa pag-shutdown karamihan kasi sa IED (improvised explosives device) gamit ang cellphones. We might as well prevent it,” said Sinas.
(The reason behind shutting down the signal is that most IEDs use cellular phones so we might as well prevent it.)
Meanwhile, in order to better secure the Basilica, Sinas said that they will have only one entrance for the church.
But checking of the bags of the church goers will be done meters away from the entrance.
“Ipalayo namo ang check up sa bags. Sa kalsada na namo ang check up dili na sa entrance sa church,” said Sinas.
(We will not check the bags at the entrance of the church. Instead we will do it on the streets)
Sinas said that the streets surrounding the Basilica will be cordoned by the police where the checking of bags will be conducted.
Sinas said that some of the security plans for Sinulog will have a dry run during Misa de Gallo next month.
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