Requests for VIP passes flood SFI

CEBU, Philippines -  Four months before the midterm elections this year, politicians, mostly national candidates, race to get VIP passes to the Grandstand during the Sinulog Grand Parade on January 20.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. Executive Director Ricky Ballesteros said that they have been flooded with requests from politicians, mostly senatoriables, who want to get VIP passes to the grandstand during the grand parade.

He said all requests for VIP passes have been referred to the Mayor’s Office because it is the Mayor who issues VIP passes to VIP guests as a rule.

A VIP pass allows a guest to sit at the VIP area, center of the grandstand, where one can sit comfortably and be easily noticed.

The VIP area is reserved for the guests of the Mayor.

This year, Ballesteros said, the mayor specifically instructed them to invite President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

As to the other guests to be issued VIP passes, Ballesteros said SFI leaves it to Mayor Michael Rama.

Rama is the overall chairman of the SFI. He said there will be over 100 VIP passes to be given to guests.

He said there will be politicians to be given VIP passes regardless of their political affiliation.

Ballesteros said it is up to the mayor to accommodate candidates as long as they behave according to the SFI rules.

He said candidates are not allowed to hang campaign streamers along the carousel route.

It needs permit from the Mayor’s office, but he said the mayor already ordered that campaign streamers along the carousel route shall be completely banned.

Candidates may join the parade, but they can only shake hands and wave.

They are not allowed to give out merchandise items and other propaganda materials.

At the grandstand, only the mayor and the President are allowed to deliver a speech.

“They have to behave. Cebuanos are very observant,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros assured that security has been tightened at the grandstand to avoid the same burglary incident last year and to prevent other untoward security-related incidents.

The SFI has augmented their security force by adding more blue guards assigned in different parts of the Cebu City Sports Center.

SFI, as early as April, has also installed 16 security cameras in various strategic areas of the CCSC.

Last year, the SFI office was attacked by burglars who took SFI’s cash reaching over P1.6 million.  –/MIT (FREEMAN)