455TH FIESTA SEÑOR. Devotees flock to the image of Sto. Niño de Cebu upon its arrival at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño from its visitations to different parishes. Augustinian friars on Monday (Jan. 6, 2020) said all is set for the 12-day event leading to the Fiesta Señor on Jan. 19, 2020. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – Officials of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño here on Monday encouraged devotees who will be participating in the daily Novena Masses and other activities to abide by the security measures imposed in the historical church’s vicinity.
Fr. Aladdin Luzon, an Augustinian friar in charge of security and safety for the entire celebration, said the same ingress and egress procedures as well as security measures implemented in the past celebrations will also be put in place this year.
“We have to adjust to the number of people. We ask the public to please abide or understand these kinds of measures that we are putting up. For applying this may imply inconvenience on your part but as we go along, we realize that this for the common good (and) for the betterment of everybody,” Luzon said during a press briefing.
Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, chief of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7), said they committed 5,300 police personnel to secure the 12-day event leading to the Fiesta Señor on Jan. 19.
Luzon said the job of ensuring the safety and security of throng of crowds attending church masses on nine days leading to the 455th Fiesta Señor on Jan. 19 rests upon the Augustinian friars and the police, but the public “can help lighten our burden if you cooperate to the measures we are trying to implement”.
The prior of the Basilica, Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr., who heads the over-all committees for this year’s celebration, said they expected around 10,000 people to flock to the Basilica and its periphery like the Plaza Sugbu near Cebu City Hall just to hear novena masses at the Sto. Niño Pilgrim Center.
De Leon, however, assured the public that personnel from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) under Col. Engelbert Soriano will get augmentation forces from the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and the Bohol Provincial Police Office.
Police personnel from the neighboring cities in Metro Cebu will also augment the security forces assigned to secure the celebration, he added.
He also said that while there is no intelligence report of a possible security threat during the Fiesta Señor this year, he ordered his intelligence officer to gather information.
“Lahat ng nangyayari sa buong mundo (All that are happening around the world) we considered them as information to derive possible threats. And Sinulog has been conducted yearly (where) terrorists consider this as one of the potentials that they can create havoc. So the PNP (Philippine National Police) and allied forces are at stake to also provide utmost security,” De Leon said.
Luzon said among the safety arrangements agreed upon during the multi-stakeholder meeting with the police force is to re-impose the “no backpack” policy while inside the vicinity of the church.
De Leon, however, said security personnel at the entrance gate will provide special inspection lane to devotees who would be bringing a backpack.
Meanwhile, the Cebu City Traffic Office released Monday a rerouting scheme for the public utility jeepneys and vehicles entering near the Basilica to give way for the safer entrance and exit of devotees. (PNA)
