CEBU CITY, Philippines—Citing the New Year’s eve terrorist attack in Cotabato City, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is agreeable to the plans of local law enforcers to reimplement the shutting off of mobile phone signals during the Sinulog Festival.
“Yes because of a recent terrorist threat here,” Osmeña told reporters in a press conference today, Thursday (January 10).
Osmeña said organizers are not taking any chances when it comes to ensuring the peace and order of the Sinulog Festival.
“People will get adjusted to it. I grew up without signal so don’t say we cannot live without it. Even if there is a one percent chance that something bad will happen, that’s very high, you cannot take chances,” he added.
In an earlier interview, the NTC in Central Visayas (NTC-7) said a few cell sites in Cebu City will be shut down to cut off phone signals along the routes of the Sinulog solemn procession in the afternoon of January 19 and the mardi gras-like grand parade in the morning of January 20.
Phone signals are expected to be back a few hours after the grand parade. /rcg