2-day Lapu-Lapu City fiesta peaceful, police say

CEBU, Philippines – The two-day fiesta of Our Lady of the Rule in Lapu-Lapu City was "peaceful", a police official assessed.

Senior Superintendent Armando Radoc, acting police chief of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said though they have recorded one incident, the November 20 and 21 celebration was generally peaceful.

"Peaceful ta ron. Mas gi-maximize nato ang police force. Usa ra atong na-record nga insidente sa pick-pocket sa peryahan. (It was peaceful. We maximized our force. We were able to record just one pickpoketing incident at the carnival)," he said.

More than 400 police personnel, including force multipliers, were deployed since Friday in order to strengthen security coverage.

Radoc said the police force is keeping an eye on the public's safety and security.

Meanwhile, Frank Brazil, chief of City Traffic Management Systems, saw road congestion right after a mass in Virgen Dela Regla Parish, Barangay Poblacion yesterday.

"Kung wala'y misa, manageable ra ang traffic. Wala man ta'y gi-usab nga ruta sa traffic," Brazil said.

Around 50 CTMS enforcers were deployed to control traffic, Brazil added.

He added that Lopez Jaena Street and B.M. Dimataga Street are temporarily closed to give way to the public going in and out of the VDR Parish.

Around 8:45 a.m. yesterday, some city residents who finished hearing the mass, elbowed their way out from the church, as another batch of mass-goers flocked inside.

But CTMS enforcers and LCPO personnel were in tune with each other, assuring the public's security, said Brazil.

Brazil said they close the streets near the church around as early as 4 a.m.

"(Mga) 4 in the morning mi mag-road closure up to termination kay parehas gabii, alas 12 pasado nahuman ang kalingawan sa plaza. So mga ala-una sa buntag, mi-disperse na mi," Brazil said.

As of this writing, Brazil said they are expecting other fiesta-related activities to end around 1 a.m. (FREEMAN)