Sinulog Festival

CEBU CITY, Philippines - The conduct of the Sinulog Grand Parde in Cebu City was generally peaceful with crowds reaching at least 2 million at its peak, police officials said.

There were no major trouble alarms of stabbings, maulings or fraternity or gang war violence, said Chief Superintendent Ronald Roderos, regional police director.

There were some arrests for minor offenses. One individual was arrested for pickpocketing, three for drunken behavior and one for selling fake grandstand tickets. Liquor bottles were confiscated.

Roderos said there was a minor incident in crowd control near the Robinson’s Mall in Fuente Osmeña but that the police managed to restore order.

“We were in control of the situation but let the people decide whether we failed or not,” Roderos said.

Roderos estimated the crowd of spectators and participants to reach 2.8 million at its peak.

Cebu City Police Chief Patrocinio Comendador Jr. placed the crowd at 2.1 million.

About 1,700 policemen and military personnel, assisted by 1,500 crime volunteers were deployed on the streets to maintain order during the event, Roderos said.

Security forces, however, failed to prevent some individuals from entering the Cebu City Sports Center without tickets or IDs. They sneaked in by pretending to be members of parade contingents.

Roderos was on the street to inspect the parade route, including the New Imus Avenue.

"We reprimanded some drunk men who were spotted on the route," said Inspector Ryan Devaras, who is in charge of Sector 6.

Most of the 44 policemen fielded there were trainees.

Devaras said as early as 9 a.m., a crowd close to 15,000 already flocked to Imus Avenue to wait for the parade then decreased to about 8,000 by 5 p.m.

Along Osmeña Boulevard, lawyers and law students from the University of San Jose-Recoletos put up a tent with banners calling for justice for murdered Cebu City assistant prosecutor Patrick Ian Osorio.

Osorio was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding gunman on Maria Gochan Street in Barangay (village) Mambaling on January 6.
The motive of the killing remains unclear.

Osorio, who graduated from USJ-R, was laid to rest last Saturday in his hometown in Dalaguete, Cebu. /With Correspondent Justin Anjuli K. Vestil