City cops almost ready for Sinulog

THE police are now 70 percent ready for the security in the Sinulog celebration.

Chief Insp. David Señor, head of the operations division of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that the Sinulog walk-through yesterday morning went well.

“It was okay. We were accompanied by the station commanders, the engineering department, the sponsor and the City Government during the inspection,” he said in Cebuano.

Even if he noted some minor obstacles in the parade route, he assured the public that the Sinulog will push through.

“There will be a clearing operation three weeks before the Sinulog. Piles of construction materials that were placed after the road construction will be cleared, together with ambulant vendors and telephone cables,” the chief said.

Señor said there will be five judging areas that will be put up along the routes.

The assembly area will start with the contingents from Barangay Carreta to the area in front of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) on P. Del Rosario up to N. Bacalso Ave.

It will cover the area of Sector 6, 7, and 8 where there will be no judges.

Five judging areas will be designated in the route where an elevated platform will be built.

In Sector 5, from Carreta up to the area of Iglesia ni Cristo, there will be a judge.

Beside the University of San Carlos Boys High, there will be another judging area, in Mango Square, in front of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 and the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 in Camp Sergio Osmeña.

Almost 2,000 security personnel, which includes uniformed men, police in civilian clothes, university students, military, as well as the local government units, will be present during the celebration for crowd control.

Señor stressed that there will be shifting of personnel in sectors 2, 3, 4 and 9, which is in Baseline area because of frequent surge of people.

“Naa dinha ang problema (The problem is there),” he said, referring to the previous Sinulog celebrations where rowdy partygoers frequent the area.

Señor said they are ready for the opening salvo, the Translacion and the activities after the fluvial.

The solemn mass and the parade preparations are only at 70 percent, because he will still propose the number of police personnel.

Bleachers will also be placed in specific locations, but can only accommodate a few.