Aquino orders arrest of people behind indiscriminate firing

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday to locate and charge those who have fired guns indiscriminately during the New Year’s Eve celebration that claimed the lives of at least two persons, including a seven-year-old girl.

In response, Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who supervises the PNP, said he has already ordered PNP Director General Alan Purisima to find those behind the incidents so that they can “face the consequences of their recklessness.”

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the PNP is on top of the case of Stephanie Nicole Ella, who died on Wednesday after being hit by a stray bullet on the head outside her residence in Caloocan City.

He said empty gun shells were recovered by the police and they are in the process of identifying who owned the gun that killed Ella.

The Palace official appealed to the public to call police hotline for any information that may lead to the arrest of people who have indiscriminately fired their guns during the New Year revelry.

“We will take action on those reports,” he said, as the Palace has yet to discuss the idea of putting up a bounty for the immediate arrest of those who engaged in indiscriminate firing last New Year’s Eve.

For its part, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said they will be including Ella’s case in the upcoming stakeholders meeting.

“Sa mga nakalipas na panahon, marami nang nasangkot sa ligaw na bala at namatay din. Kung ano ang magiging epekto nito at kung ano ang magiging usapin, kung papano titingnan ngayon ang mga batas na may kinalalaman sa pagmamay-ari ng baril sa ating bansa, hindi namin alam kung saan hahantong,” said DOH Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Eric Tayag.

The PNP has recorded at least 40 victims of stray bullets during the Yuletide season. (Jill Beltran/HDT/Sunnex)