Task Group MassKara formed to secure revelers

TASK Group MassKara was formed by Bacolod City Police Office to provide public safety services and to secure visitors during the MassKara Festival on October, City Police Director Ricardo De la Paz said on Tuesday.

De la Paz, who chaired the Task Group MassKara, said the Police Regional Office has an existing Task Force Festival which was activated during major festival celebrations in the region.

In support of PRO-6's Task Force Festival, BCPO also formed Task Group MassKara, he said.

He said they are now in the final stage of security preparations for the MassKara Festival.

De la Paz said that, for this year's celebration, police will level up their security preparations and they will utilize the police units based in Panay to secure the airports, seaport, and terminals during the revelry.

He said they will tap the PNP units based in Panay to bolster the security force, considering that the city expects an overflow of tourists after the MassKara Festival was recently awarded as champion in one of the TV show contests of ABS-CBN.

De la Paz said PRO-6 will also send additional PNP personnel to augment BCPO.

He said that effective October 1, BCPO will be on full alert status and will maximize the deployment of the PNP personnel in different areas of Bacolod.

In addition, BCPO is waiting for the approval from Camp Crame for the implementation of gun ban during the festival. The proposed gun ban will start from 8 a.m. from October 1 to October 23, 2012, De la Paz said. (Merlinda A. Pedrosa)