A B727-200 CARGO FLT ENTERS RWY 8 WITHOUT CLRNC AT SJU; PR.

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TAXIING TO RWY 8; WE WERE FOLLOWING A C172 ON TXWY HZ. AT LEAST 7 ACFT WERE WAITING FOR TKOF ON TXWYS HZ AND S. THE CTLR CLRED THE CESSNA TO TAXI AHEAD AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8 AT TXWY Z; ADDING FOR US TO EXPECT TO BE FOLLOWING THE CESSNA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE TWR CLRED THE CESSNA FOR TKOF; NO DELAY; AND I UNDERSTOOD WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. MY CREW HEARD A HOLD SHORT CLRNC. THEREFORE; I CONTINUED TAXIING ONTO THE RWY SURFACE BEFORE MY CREW COULD QUESTION MY ACTION. THIS RESULTED IN THE TWR DIRECTING A GAR OF AN ATR. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. OUT OF CONCERN WE APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING AFTER TKOF AND WE OBTAINED A TWR PHONE NUMBER SO WE COULD DISCUSS THE OCCURRENCE AFTER LNDG IN MIAMI. WHEN I CALLED; I SPOKE TO THE MORNING SHIFT SUPVR. HE WAS PLEASED WE HAD ADMITTED ERROR JUST AFTER TKOF; BUT ADDED THAT THE CLRNC WAS UNCLR. IN FACT THE CTLR HAD GIVEN CLRNC TO 2 ACFT IN 1 CALL ASKING THEM BOTH TO ADVANCE AND THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE TKOF CLRNC. FURTHER; HE SAID HE WOULD NOT PURSUE FAA ACTION SINCE BOTH PLT CREW AND CTLR HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. HE ADDED; 'WE ALL NEED TO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.' I AGREED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 458116: AT THIS TIME I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH MY PRETKOF DUTIES; AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY FURTHER CLRNC. WE DEPARTED SAN JUAN AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. THE CTLR REPLIED 'NO PROB.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 457922: THE CTLR WAS INCREDIBLY BUSY TRYING TO COORDINATE NOT ONLY DEPS ON RWY 8; BUT ALSO LNDGS DUE TO THE OTHER RWY BEING CLOSED. THIS IS WHERE I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE. WE WERE CLRED #2 BEHIND THE CESSNA AND WERE TOLD TO TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY Z. AS A RESULT OF THE CTLR'S IMPLICATIONS THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA WE DID; WHERE WE ENTERED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC.