No permits, no problem for Sinulog street parties

DESPITE revoking permits for four street parties along the Sinulog Grand Parade route, there was no avoiding the sea of humanity that crowded General Maxilom/Mango Avenue and Juana Osmeña Streets in last Sunday evening’s post-Sinulog celebration.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), said in a text message that their office did not issue any permit for street parties last Sinulog weekend.

“As far as I know, we have not issued permit for street parties. We will investigate this matter,” his message read.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak earlier said City Hall revoked the permits of street parties to be held near the carousel route.

These parties were supposed to be held in Mango Square, CAP Theater Cebu, Mango Avenue and in Fooda department store.

During every Sinulog celebration, the Maxilom or Mango Avenue area especially near the site where the Baseline restaurant used to stand is usually crowded by people who attended street parties.

Some revelers claimed to seeing police officers detailed in the area, not doing anything and simply watching the street dancing performed by contingents participating in the Sinulog Grand Parade.

Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, acting regional director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, said he was dissatisfied with the performance of some police officers, especially junior officers who failed to supervise their subordinates.

“Let’s just say, some of my junior police officers have received some beating,” said Gaerlan during their conference for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) next week.

Even with no permits, there were at least six street parties held around Cebu City last Sunday evening.

These are the Invasion in Fooda, Hyper Wonderland in Axis Entertainment in Escario St., Sinulog Royals in Century Plaza Hotel, Sensation in Alcohology and a foam party somewhere in Escario St.

Gaerlan said even with the ban, the police can only discourage revelers from proceeding to the Mango Avenue area, which eventually got overcrowded.

“There’s no curfew hour, there is no legal basis to prevent these people from roaming around the streets,” he said.

Gaerlan said the city government should ban street parties in major thoroughfares in Cebu City, not just within or 300 meters from the carousel routes during Sinulog.

Senior Supt. Marciano Batiancela Jr., commander of the Sinulog Security task group, said he noticed that street parties held in other major roads in Cebu City caused traffic obstruction.

He cited as an example the street party along Ramos St., which is not part of the carousel route, but still a major road in the city.

“Street parties can be allowed on interior roads but not on major roads because several people are rushing home after the Sinulog,” Batiancela said.

He said this is just a suggestion since he is no longer Cebu City police chief.

Revelers also complained about a Kaohsiung bus that was parked in the middle of the street near a gasoline station, making it impossible for some motorists to move out of the area.

Along the corner of Gorordo Ave. in General Maxilom avenue, no signs, nor personnel or barricades could be seen warning of an impassable road ahead of Mango Avenue.

Chief Insp. David Señor, head of operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said motorists should have known that the road was closed.

He said there was a traffic advisory posted a few weeks ago and that it was the job of traffic enforcers to implement the road closure.