Police on heightened alert status for Sinulog

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office is on heightened alert effective yesterday for the Sinulog Festival.

Acting CCPO director Mariano Natuel raised the alert status to ensure a peaceful and orderly celebration of the Sinulog. Natuel said he needs more policemen to be deployed in the different venues where the Sinulog activities are to be held.

By raising the alert status, all police personnel are required to be on duty.

“Under heightened alert status dili sila pwede mag-leave. Tanan ready to be deployed,” Natuel said.

Natuel is also creating a Special Reaction Unit (SRU) to respond to major incidents, if any, outside the Sinulog coverage.

“Para in case naa’y mga incidents, dili na ta mag-pull out sa mga pulis na naka-deploy sa Sinulog (in case there are incidents we will not anymore pullout personnel assigned to secure the Sinulog),” Natuel said.

The SRU will be composed of 14 police officers who will be detailed at the CCPO headquarters ready to respond to any incident.

Senior Supt. Louie Oppus, deputy regional director for operations,  also warned police personnel assigned for the Sinulog not to abandon their post otherwise they will face relief.

Oppus said they noticed in the previous Sinulog Festivals that some policemen abandoned their post without being properly relieved.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 is issuing 90 special permits for buses, mini-buses and public utility jeepneys on the Sinulog day.

CITOM executive assistant Joy Tumulak said that this is to allow public transport to travel outside their franchise area. Tumulak said there will be 20 buses serving the north up to Ayala and Mabolo and another 20 in the south.

Tumulak said at least 50 PUJs will also be given special permits to bring passengers near the parade route.

These vehicles will start serving the passengers at 5:00 in the afternoon of January 20.

Tumulak said that passengers from the South will disembark in the temporary terminal at the South Road Properties. PUJs will bring them near the Senior Citizen’s Park at the vicinity of the Basilica.

Tumulak said that buses and mini-buses shall be given special permit to collect P10.00 fare and P7.50 for jeepneys. —FPL (FREEMAN)