Sinulog Festival

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Chief Superintendent Ronald Roderos on Monday commended the Cebu police and other security personnel for keeping the celebration of the Sinulog Grand Parade peaceful.

Roderos, Central Visayas police director, congratulated Senior Superintendent Patrocinio Comendador Jr. for a “job well done.”

Roderos said he was impressed of the policies implemented by Comendador such as the implementation of a two-day gun ban.

The absence of shooting incident during the Sinulog was attributed to the gun ban, he said.

Police described the celebration of the annual festivity as “generally peaceful.”

Roderos said the peaceful celebration was also due to the cooperation of the public.

The police did not receive any report of violence involving warring fraternities unlike in previous Sinulog celebrations.

But Roderos said there were areas that needed to be improved such as the setup of the exit and entrance at the Cebu City Sports Center where the contingents would hold their finale numbers.

He said the current set up was prone to stampede.

The police also received fewer cases of theft last Sunday compared to the last year’s Sinulog.

Senior Inspector Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office, said the decrease in the theft cases was due to the saturation drive conducted by the police before the Sinulog Grand Parade.

During the saturation drive, 29 suspected thieves and other petty criminals were rounded up, said Bastes.

He said that in last year's Sinulog, 10 persons were arrested for pickpocketing.

But last Sunday, only one thief was arrested.