CEBU CITY – Security measures are all set for the 459th Fiesta Señor in this city.

POLICE and other uniformed personnel on Wednesday, January 9, attend their send-off ceremony for the upcoming 459th Fiesta Señor in Cebu City. (Photo via Calvin D. Cordova)

More than 5,000 security personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office showed their readiness to secure the week-long religious activities when they attended the send-off ceremony on Wednesday, January 10, at the South Road Properties.

The security team included at least 3,500 uniformed personnel.

Police Col. Noel Flores, deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7), assured that with the commitment of the security personnel, the holding of the Fiesta Señor from January 11 to 21 will be peaceful.

“The safety and security of our people shall be our top most priority,” Flores said.

Before the deployment of the security personnel, a Mass celebrated by Augustinian friars from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño led by Rev. Fr. Nelson Zerda was held.

Mayor Michael Rama here also attended the send-off ceremony.

Police Col. Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of the Cebu City Police Office and the ground commander of the Task Force Sinulog, said they are still making minor adjustments but the deployment of security forces have started for the start of the novena Masses on Thursday, January 11.

Dalogdog said the task force will fine tune its security measures by holding a simulation exercise a day before the fluvial procession and Sinulog Grand Parade.

The Joint Task Group-Cebu announced through Army Col. Erwin Lamzon that more than 1,000 soldiers and reservists will be deployed to help manage the crowd during the grand parade.

Authorities said they have not monitored any threats for the upcoming activities.

Rama announced that there will be no signal shutdown during the fluvial procession on January 20 and Grand Parade on January 21.

He described the enforcing of a signal shutdown as “jurassic style” or old-fashioned.

He said the higher-ups of the PNP should listen to the sentiment of Cebuanos of doing away with signal shutdown during Sinulog.

Shutting down of cell phone signals during Sinulog was done in the past.

“They have to listen and they should listen, why? Because we are the ones who are here and we know the 459th Fiesta Señor and we never would wish a jurassic festival,” Rama said.

Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, deputy chief of the  PRO-7 Intelligence Unit, said monitoring of possible threats is continuing.

“There are no specific threats monitored. Our intelligence fusion has already been established with all agencies in the security sector. We have not monitored threats but of course, considering the events unfolding in other areas, we are raising our precautionary measures," said Pelare.

Pelare said police in Central Visayas are already on heightened alert with the upcoming Sinulog celebration.