Police assures security for Simbang Gabi

SECURITY and traffic schemes were finalized by both the Cebu City and Mandaue City police for the annual Simbang Gabi.

Senior Supt. Ramon Melvin Buenafe, Cebu City police chief, said they are tapping barangay peacekeeping action teams (BPAT) to beef up their personnel in securing the churches, malls and other commercial crowd-drawing areas.

Night watch patrol teams will also monitor the church area. Police will also coordinate with the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Management Operations (CITOM) to keep watch on parking areas, Buenafe said.

In Mandaue City, a 60-day traffic re-routing scheme was enforced starting yesterday of the holiday rush, the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) said yesterday.

In a press conference over the weekend, Team representative Jerome Ursal said  all passenger jeepneys coming from Cebu City will turn left to AS Fortuna Street, then turn right to J. Centre Mall and head to the north reclamation area.

Passenger jeepneys from Lapu-Lapu City that pass by Mandaue City towards Cebu City will have to pass A. C. Cortes Street then turn left to MC Briones.

Douglas Chiongliu, assistant general manager of J. Centre Mall said that the re-routing is their way of helping the city government solve the traffic problem especially in the streets of M.L. Quezon and A. S. Fortuna.

Chiongliu said they have already distributed flyovers on the traffic re-routing scheme to affected passenger jeepney drivers two weeks ago.

Romeo Armamento, president of the Mandaue United Drivers Association asked Team to discontinue the scheme if traffic worsens in A.S. Fortuna or other parts of Mandaue City./Correspondents Chito Aragon and Fe Marie Dumaboc