Devotees carry their own Sto. Niño image during the “Walk with Jesus” dawn procession on Jan. 5, 2017 from Fuente Osmeña rotunda to the Basilica del Sto. Niño for the first of the novena Masses in honor of Cebu’s patron, the Señor Sto. Niño. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA) [FILE PHOTO]
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy city director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said on Monday, Dec. 26, that different assistant sector commanders from the Cebu Police Provincial Office, Mandaue City Police Office, and Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, convened and were briefed about this upcoming activity.
Rafter said that the overseer or the event commander would be Police Lieutenant Colonel Eunil Avergonzado.
They had their briefing this Monday morning, Dec. 26, as they would be anticipating thousands of devotees to join the event.
Based on the crowd estimate in the previous years, Rafter said that the city noted 300,000 devotees, who joined the Walk With Jesus.
She said that they also expect a similar number next year.
“Kining mga opisyales karon nga ania have their respective areas of control and supervision so mao atoang giby sectors [route], gibriefing nato sila asa ilang mga areas ug unsay mga issues and concerns sa ilang bawat areas,” Rafter said.
(These officials now have their respective areas of control and supervision, so we did it by sectors [route], we briefed them where their areas would be, and what the issues and concerns of each different areas.)
“Sumala sa mga nangagi ubay-ubay gyud ang mga tawo ani. Og dili nato i-divide by sectors, magkaguliyang atoang mga pulis,” she added.
(According to the past celebrations of the event, there were really a lot of people who attended. And if we will not divide it by sectors, the police will be disorganized.)
The “Walk With Jesus” will start at the Fuente Osmena Circle going to Basilica Minore del Santo Nino. These personnel will be deployed two hours before the start of the event which will be at 4 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2022.
These personnel are only those assigned at the route. Further, Rafter said that they were set to have a walk through in the coming days to further assess their respective areas of supervision.
Rafter encouraged the devotees to not bring back packs for security and safety of the entire event.
“Amo lang giencourage ug gihangyo ang katawhan nga dili na lang gyud magdala para sa security and safety nato. However, sa pagsulod sa Basilica, controlled na nato ang perimeter pa lang niya. Naa na tay established certain exit and entrances [for easier checking],” Rafter further said.
(We are encouraging and appealing to the public not to bring bags for their security and safety. However, in entering the Basilica, the perimeter is already controlled. We have established certain exit and entrances [for easier checking].)
For now, the Cebu City Police Office is still waiting for the directives from the national headquarters regarding their gun ban recommendation for Sinulog 2023.
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