THE Sinulog Grand Parade last Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, was generally peaceful, according to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
Col. Engelbert Soriano, CCPO officer-in-charge, said there were no major incidents save for reports of unruly drunks causing trouble after the parade.
He said several establishments also violated Mayor Edgardo Labella’s executive order prohibiting the selling of alcoholic drinks within the 100-meter radius of the carousel route.
When confronted, they told police they had received verbal consent from the City Government to sell liquor.
“We decided to be lenient. We understood people were celebrating. However, we advised them to stop serving liquor because we didn’t want anything bad to happen,” Soriano said in Tagalog.
The police official admitted that most of his personnel were focused on providing security along the carousel route, particularly along Osmeña Blvd.
Soriano believes they successfully prevented the sale of illegal drugs, particularly ecstasy.
He said preventing the sale of the party drug was the marching order of Police Regional Office Central Visayas Director Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon.
He said days before the grand parade, his personnel monitored the sale of illegal drugs and their sellers, but did not make any arrests.
Soriano also thanked his personnel, especially those assigned along the parade route, for their dedication.
However, he received reports that some of them abandoned their posts during the festivity.
Police officers caught abandoning their duties could face expulsion, Soriano said. (AYB /JKV)