CEBU City police officials are planning to meet with Acting Mayor Michael Rama to push for the retention of the city’s curfew policy.
This after Rama said he was thinking of lifting the curfew for a gradual shift to the new normal.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy director for operation Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla said CCPO Director Col. Josefino Ligan planned to ask Rama to keep the curfew as it has greatly helped in managing the city’s Covid-19 situation and crime rate.
Parilla said since the city’s curfew policy is now an ordinance, the discussions between Rama and the CCPO should be on how to implement it since it has brought good to the community as fewer people loiter at night.
“(Col. Ligan’s) suggestion is that if possible, let us keep the curfew because it is a way of controlling the rise of positive cases. And another thing that we emphasize is the curfew’s big help to our anti-criminality campaign. Also, this is an ordinance of Cebu City. It can only be amended also with an ordinance,” Parilla said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Parilla said if the city’s curfew remains, this would not affect businesses as the ordinance does not prohibit the sale of food, which is considered an essential service.
Bars and other drinking spots are also allowed to operate until 11:30 p.m., said Parilla.
Earlier, the Metro Manila Council had agreed to lift the unified curfew hours in the entire National Capital Region, composed of 16 cities and one town, starting Thursday, November 4, 2021.
In Cebu City, which is now under Alert Level 2, the curfew remains at 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.