Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that he would order people caught drinking during the Sinulog Grand Parade this January to be arrested.

Osmeña added that he would sign an executive order banning alcoholic drinks on Sinulog on January 21 not only from the streets but from restobars as well.

“No drinking. People are going to drink one way or the other. If you get caught I will put you in jail. Put you inside the Kaohsiung bus,” he warned.

However, alcoholic drinks can be sold at the South Road Properties (SRP).

The Cebu City mayor said that one of the reasons behind his liquor ban near the grand parade was his concern over potential risk that the terrorists who were defeated in Marawi City might come to Cebu to sow fear and chaos in the city.

“My fear is very simple. If the bomb explodes and every body is hubog (drunk)…patay. The damage is more than the bomb itself,” he explained.

Osmeña added that the terrorists might choose to strike back over the death of hundreds of their men in the hands of government forces in the Marawi siege and Cebu might be a target. He clarified, however, that he was not claiming that the terrorists would come to Cebu, but that it is better to be prepared for whatever might happen during the extremely busy event.

He issued the same warning earlier in November during a press conference.

“No drinking within 300 meters. Bars should not sell alcohol. If there will be alcohol inside, then we will close it. We will deploy dozens of Kaoshiung buses, which will serve as detention centers for people who are drinking,” he told the media.

The mayor said that those who would like to drink or sell liquor can do so at the SRP. The draft EO he posted on his official Facebook page showed that the city will ban concerts, shows, performances, events, recitals, gigs, street parties, events and loud speakers within 300 meters of the Sinulog parade route.

Sources: ( sunstar.com.ph , sunstar.com.ph )