By John Noel E. Herrera
The Iloilo City Council is seeking the advice of experts if they will jam mobile phone signals during the two-day highlights of the Dinagyang Festival in January 2023.
Councilor Romel Duron, chairman of the committee on transportation and public utilities, said that they will take the opinion of experts, especially the Philippine National Police (PNP), about the possible blocking of mobile signals as part of the security measures for the festival.
The city council earlier passed a resolution inviting the PNP, telecommunication companies, and the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) to present their insights regarding the said matter in a committee hearing on Dec 15, 2022.
“If they can convince us nga may threat sa gihapon like in the past, kay anyway para man ni sa kaayuhan sang tanan, sometimes we have to give up some of our privileges and dyutay ngaton nga convenience,” Duron said.
The SP also noted that signal jamming has already been part of the security measures during the celebration, as the city is expecting many guests, including First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, who just confirmed her attendance at the festival.
Duron, however, acknowledged that there are also situations where phone signals are needed, like in times of emergencies, as well as to further promote live events on social media.
“Ane communication daan subong through phone na gid, and ang iban nga sa coverage, phones naman ang ginagamit. Millions will be watching, so nami gid man tani kon damu ang live coverage,” he added.
In the recent editions of the Dinagyang Festival, specifically from 2017 to 2022, mobile phone signals were blocked as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved the requests for mobile phone signal jamming to avoid security threats, like terrorist bombings.
Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) is also gearing up its security plan and preparation to ensure the safety of the public for Dinagyang 2023.
ICPO said that they have already planned their security strategies and preparations as they are set to deploy police personnel in different areas of the city to monitor and secure the safety of the public.
ICPO spokesperson Major Shella Mae Sangrines said that they have already asked for an augmentation of around 2,000 policemen to the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6.
She added that uniformed and covert police personnel will be mobilized to run after criminals involved in petty crimes and other nefarious activities that could hamper the peace and order situation in the metro during the event, starting with the “Pamukaw” on Dec 16, 2022.
ICPO also encouraged the public to immediately report any incident or illegal activities to the police if they observe or witness any activity that may result in safety and security threats during the celebration.
