PNoy, Binay get Sinulog invites

CEBU, Philippines - Transcending political lines, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said both President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay will get invitations to join the Sinulog festivities next week.

Rama, however, is not optimistic both would show up since that national government is busy preparing for the Papal visit.

 “I’m not hopeful (that the President and Vice President will come) kay naay Pope (visit).  Wala pa gali ta kahibawo (of Aquino and Binay’s plans), but we are just being respectful (in sending them invitations); that they should have find time,” Rama said.

With or without Aquino and Binay around, the Police Regional Office-7 will be on full alert starting Monday until Sunday next week, as it awaits confirmation of a total gun ban it requested for enforcement in Cebu City for the Sinulog week.

Superintendent Renato Dugan, PRO-7 public information officer and Regional Personnel and Human Resources and Development Division chief, said that they already requested the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame to impose a total gun ban in Cebu City from January 12 to 19.

The application, which he said was meant to better secure the city, was most unlikely to be turned down.

Dugan said that once the gun ban would take effect, permits to carry firearms outside the residence are suspended in Cebu City but would remain valid in the rest of the region.

Security would be tight in Cebu City, as was the case in the 2013 Sinulog when Aquino, with Liberal Party senators, was in Cebu for the inauguration of Austal Philippine Shipbuilding in Balamban town. 

The president, though, did not proceed to the Sinulog grandstand at the Cebu City Sports Complex as he was “not invited” by anyone to go there.

Learning from this, Rama said he instructed his secretary to follow through the invitation to make sure that the letter from the city government will really reach the Office of the President.

Rama also said that while he would not be inviting other national government leaders, everyone is welcome to join in the Sinulog.

He, however, said no reservations would be made for anyone, not even for Aquino and Binay, without his approval so as so to avoid confusion in ticket reservations.

Should the president or the vice President come, Rama said, they are welcome to make a short speech, primarily to greet the crowd. Rama, though, emphasized that “campaigning” is not allowed during the Sinulog.

He said Aquino and Binay can also visit the city and join other Sinulog activities like the grand procession, or witness the Miss Cebu pageant and the Festival Queen search, among others.

In a briefing yesterday, Rama told  Sinulog Foundation Inc. representatives, City Hall department heads, police officials, and private sector volunteers to focus more on crowd control, better documentaries, security and safety, public discipline in the streets, safe accommodation for contingents, order and safety at the Sinulog route, seamless launching, garbage-free city before sunrise after the grand parade, distraction-free sidewalks, and better communication with the Sinulog command center, among others.

The mayor said that in case there is a typhoon, the South Road Properties and the Cebu Coliseum are alternative sites.

In terms of security and safety, Dugan told The FREEMAN that police officers would not be allowed to take a leave and those who are on leave would be asked to report for duty once the full alert status is in effect.

“On January 12 to 19 we will be in full alert status….  We will be suspending the leave of our personnel; automatically, we will be recalling those who are in leave.  Prepared na ta tanan,” he said.

Dugan said PR0-7 would likewise assign 861 police officers from other units in the region and from the Regional Public Safety Battalion to Cebu City for the Sinulog as augmentation personnel.

However, the 861 policemen, who would be deployed in Cebu City starting January 12, are just half the number of the entire force originally eyed to help secure the city during the Sinulog.

“Ang proposed 1,500 unta.  Nag-augment man ta sa PRO-8…. Og wa lay kasabay nga activity sa Cebu City maka-comply mi sa 1,500 nga personnel,” Dugan said.

The policemen sent to PRO-8 were to supplement the police force securing Pope Francis during his visit in Tacloban City.

Earlier, Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, Cebu City Police Office officer-in-charge, requested PRO-7 for 1,200 additional personnel for the Sinulog.

Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, Cebu Provincial Police Office director, said he would send 100 of his men to help CCPO.

He also said that the town police stations would also intensify the setting up of checkpoints before the Sinulog as countermeasure in discouraging criminals from going to Cebu City to prey on those joining the festivities.

“Continuous gihapon atong mga checkpoint before Sinulog. We cannot deny naa say mga criminal elements who will go to Cebu City to take advantage of the festivities. Mas maayong diri pa lang (in the province) mo-conduct ta’g anti-criminality operations,” Gillamac said.

For the accommodation of out-of-town contingents, SFI executive director Ricky Ballesteros said they have identified Abellana National School, Cebu City Central School, Mambaling Elementary School, Labangon Elementary School, and Zapatera Elementary School as ideal venues.

He said these schools would later on hold make-up classes to cover for the days that the classrooms are utilized to house the contingents.

Ballesteros said contingents for the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan competition this Saturday will be lodged in the said schools today.

For contingents participating in the Grand Parade on January 18, the city government will accommodate them starting January 12 instead of January 15.

Ballesteros said some contingents asked for early accommodation because they do not want to be stranded in their respective hometowns should there be a weather disturbance.

He said he was glad that the typhoon Ruby-hit Catbalogan City in Samar will still continue to join The Sinulog Grand Parade for the first time.

For ticket sales, Ballesteros said that he has not noticed a trend that sale has decreased.  He, however, admitted that it may be the case since Pope Francis is in Tacloban City and in Manila during the Sinulog week.

He said Cebu City is not competing with the papal visit through the Sinulog, saying the celebration is even complementing with the pontiff’s visit as a religious activity.—/RHM (FREEMAN)