[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ MassKara gun ban starts ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
BACOLOD City – A gun ban is in effect in the city starting 12 midnight today up to 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 23 in relation to the ongoing celebration of the MassKara Festival.
Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag said the ban suspends permits to transport and carry firearms in the city.
Binag was in the city yesterday for the sendoff ceremony for festival security personnel.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has been implementing a gun ban every MassKara for seven years already.
The BCPO is also waiting for the response of the National Telecommunications Commission regarding its request for a shutdown of cellular network services during the festival highlights on Oct. 22.
The “no signal policy” is meant to prevent untoward incidents that cellphone signal-detonated bombs may cause.
President Rodrigo Duterte will also attend the festival highlights, said Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
“Kabudlay kon wala cellular phone signal but this is a security measure. We have already consulted the top officials of the Philippine National Police about this,” Leonardia said.
Leonardia also appealed to the public to understand the “inconveniences” that security measures bring.
“They are for your own good,” Leonardia added.
On top of 700 police personnel of the BCPO, there are about 4,365 personnel to guard different areas in the city.
The additional security personnel were from PRO-6, the Regional Public Safety Batallion, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and barangay peacekeeping action teams./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
