Assumption of risk

The day after Sinulog, Cebuano netizens were riled up by the post of a purported Manileño who criticized Cebuanos for being "hypocrites," praying to the Santo Niño during the novena Masses yet displaying ungodly behavior at the Sinulog parade and the pocket parties in its periphery. He was mad because, according to his post, his friend's brand new car — parked smack in the middle of party central in Baseline — was vandalized.

Two points.

First, there is such a thing as assumption of risk.  Anyone attending the Sinulog should be well aware of the traffic, the crowd estimate (over 3 million, I was told), the hordes of drunk party-goers, the broken bottles of Red Horse on our streets. It was a mix of locals and tourists (from Manila, abroad, and elsewhere) so it would be difficult to pinpoint and be sure that those who vandalized his friend's car were Cebuanos. One thing's certain though, most of the people in the Baseline-Century Plaza-Mango/Alchology area were inebriated. Parking in that vicinity, presumably when it was still okay to park there, must've been a sober decision (otherwise, why drink and drive and park there?). The people were drunk, his friend was sober. Sober but not too smart.

Parking in that area, getting vandalized and complaining about it afterwards is a lot like waving a wad of cash in the middle of Colon, and having your money snatched under your very nose only to cry foul over your loss thereafter. Again, assumption of risk.

Wiki defines assumption of risk as "a defense in the law of torts, which bars or reduces a plaintiff's right to recovery against a negligent tortfeasor if the defendant can demonstrate that the plaintiff voluntarily and knowingly assumed the risks at issue inherent to the dangerous activity in which he was participating at the time of his injury."

Second point, let's all learn from it and act more appropriately next time. We can only be responsible for ourselves but let's show visitors the kind of discipline and sense of responsibility that makes Cebu and Cebuanos shine. Just because it was stupid for that person to park there doesn't mean we should just let untoward incidents like that happen when we see it.

Also, it would be great if our Cebu City government learned from this year's experience. The garbage collection was impeccable — merely hours after, the parade route was spotless, it was as if no Sinulog happened the day before, so kudos to Mayor Mike Rama and his team. But maybe next year, F. Sotto (from Borromeo Caltex onwards) and the side streets leading to Baseline, et. al., should be made "no entry" to vehicles. I parked far, at a hotel near Ayala, and walked to Mango and Baseline and passed through there, and what did not help the situation was all the cars parked on the streets, and the fact that more cars were trying to get in (and were allowed to so! What the heck?). With people elbow to elbow, at a standstill, it was impossible and potentially dangerous.

To avoid situations where people make sober but silly decisions like driving into, literally, the thick of things during Sinulog Sunday, or leaving their cars parked where these can get vandalized, the city should simply bar vehicles other than those owned by residents of the area (and police cars and ambulances) from entering the side streets where the parties are located.