CEBU CITY, Philippines—Policemen in Cebu City will recommend to the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) the implementation of a gun ban in the city and the rest of Metro Cebu during the celebration of Sinulog 2023.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they recommended to start the gun ban at least a week before the official start of Sinulog activities.
Rafter said that there is also an ongoing discussion by city officials on the need to implement a liquor ban within the venue of the Sinulog activities, or at least within a 300-meter radius.
Police Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba, PRO-7 director, added that they have also discussed about having a signal jammer during the Sinulog grand parade but this will depend on their threat assessment moving forward.
Rafter added that they will also be coordinating with organizers on how the idea of signal jamming would affect the mechanics of the organizers in both cultural and religious activities.
“With regard to the (signal jammer), it is based on threat assessment and might also be based on the mechanics of the cultural and religious activities, considering that they might have, just like the Pasigarbo, online voting and jamming might interfere the connectivity,” Rafter said.
For now, Alba said that they continue to finalize the security preparations for Sinulog 2023 and he is expecting that by December 15 onward, their multi-agency coordinating center, wherein they conduct their monitoring, will be established.
Alba said that they anticipate that the crowd during this big event will be doubled or tripled. That is why policemen from other provinces, such as in Negros, Bohol, and Siquijor, will be part of the preparation.
If needed, Alba said that they will be requesting for augmentation from other regions. He also directed his men not to leave other areas, even if the major activities happen at the South Road Properties.
/bmjo
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