LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—“All systems go.”
This is how Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan described their preparation for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
Chan said they are all set to welcome guests to the celebration as they expect the attendance of several personalities.
“Senator Bong Go has confirmed that he will join the celebration of the 500 years. And Executive Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea, Secretary (Harry) Roque, Secretary (Karlo) Nograles, Secretary (Alfonso) Cusi, and some of the senators, congressmen, and generals are coming,” Chan said.
Although there’s no guarantee that President Rodrigo Duterte would be able to attend the activity, Chan said that city is still preparing in case the president changesd his mind and decides to grace the occasion.
“We don’t know, kay based sa experience sa NHCP, nahitabo nana siya sa Independence Day, nga June 11, midnight ni-decide si Presidente nga moadto siya sa Independence Day. So we don’t know, daghan pa mahitabo karong adlawa,” he said.
(We don’t know, because based on experience in the NHCP, it happened that on Independence Day, on June 11 midnight, the President decided he will attend the Independence Day celebration. So we don’t know, a lot can still happen today.)
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) director Police Colonel Arnel Banzon also said that they have prepared 192 police personnel who will help in the security aspect of the activity.
Read: Stricter implementation of health protocols during celebration of Victory at Mactan
“That 192, sa amoa rana sa kapulisan, wala pay labot ana ang ubang units ug force multipliers,” he said.
(That 192, that’s only from the police. That’s not including the other units and force multipliers.)
He said that 150 of them will be deployed at the Liberty Shrine in Barangay Mactan, where the reenactment of the Battle of Mactan will happen.
Banzon said they will augmented personnel from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, while around 15 K9 units will also be deployed at the venue.
/bmjo