Cebu City cops want phone signals blocked during Sinulog

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For the fourth year in a row, police officials are pushing for the interruption of cellular phone signals to secure thousands of people who will join the procession in honor of the Santo Niño de Cebu and the Sinulog grand parade in January.

Col. Giovanie Maines, officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they would ask the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to shut down cellular phone signals in the city on Jan. 18 and 19.

“[Within this week], we will send a formal letter to the NTC for the signal shut down,” Maines said.

Maines said the police, together with the management of the Basilica del Santo Niño and the city government, saw the need to shut down cell sites during specific times.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019, cell phone signals were shut down by the NTC in some portions of Mandaue and Cebu City during the Saturday fluvial procession and the foot procession of the image of the Santo Niño held on the eve of the Feast of the Child Jesus.

The same security measure was implemented in Cebu City during the feast of the Santo Niño and the Sinulog grand parade which is held every third Sunday of January as a festival highlight.

The parade drew thousands of people along its route.

NTC-Central Visayas Director Jesus Laureno said they will act on the request of the CCPO immediately.

Laureno said the local office will submit the formal recommendation to their central office in Manila.

“This set up is not new to us because we’ve been using this for the past few years during the Sinulog,” he said. /atm