Police seek ban of street parties on nights before big church events during Sinulog

Young people celebrate a post-Sinulog street party in Cebu City in this January 2016  photo. | CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is asking the Sinulog board to reconsider allowing street party events especially on nights before the big church events.

Police Colonel Geovanie Maines, CCPO officer-in-charge, who is also a members of the Sinulog Task Force, told reporters in a press briefing on November 26 that in the initial schedule of activities presented, it always ended up with street parties.

Maines said they requested these to be removed or rescheduled on days where there would be no big events on the next day.

“In the following day kung big day, halimbawa yung solemn procession, mahihiripan na yung mga tao natin dyan kung magdamag binabantayan yung party,” said Maines.

(My officers will be having a hard time when they they would have to secure the parties, which would mean that they would have to work until after the solemn procession to secure these events that usually end until early morning.)

Maines said that the recommendation, however, would still have to be approved by the Sinulog board, but he said that they were hoping the suggestion would be considered.

He said that even if the street parties would be transferred outside Cebu City, they would still suggest that these parties would not be held on days of church events.

Maines also said that starting December 1, 2019, they would be asking for augmentation of additional men for the Sinulog event as part of their own preparation to be on full force to secure these event areas./dbs