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Monday, December 31, 2007
Checkpoints put up for peaceful New Year revelry
MANILA -- To ensure a bloodless and peaceful New Year's Day celebration, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has set up checkpoints in strategic areas in Metro Manila over the weekend.
Police Chief Geary Barias said the checkpoints, some of which were already in place since Friday night, will remain until the midnight of December 31 when celebrations reach their crescendo especially in the metropolis.
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Barias said policemen assigned to the checkpoints would confiscate firearms and unauthorized powerful firecrackers like super lolo, lolo thunder, plapla and other similar devices that can cause injuries.
"So that the New Year's Day celebration will be safe: no firearms. Police will confiscate firecrackers like super lolo, triangulo, bawang that are illegal," Barias said.
Earlier, the Department of Health (DOH) warned the pubic against the use of unauthorized and powerful firecrackers to celebrate the New Year.
Barias said as part of security measures, 700 new police recruits who recently got their commission as police officers would be deployed around the metropolis until the New Year.
The policemen, "who recently passed the Philippine National Police (PNP) training program, will be assigned to on-foot, mobile police patrols and will be deployed to checkpoint operations," he said.
He said the new police recruits have already been deployed to his area's five districts immediately after taking their oaths.
Aside from the checkpoints, the official said policemen were also ordered to ensure the security of transportation terminals, shopping malls, Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit, Pandacan oil depot, and other vital government installations in the metropolis.
As part of security measures, police will remain on heightened alert, with half their force allowed to take leaves. The leaves, however, would be subject to recall at any time especially during an emergency situation.
Those who took their leaves last Christmas will be on duty during the New Year shift, he stressed.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) meantime said it has also readied its forces to respond to any fire incident in the metropolis during the celebration.
BFP said it is coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to remind residents of what to do in case of emergencies, while patrols will be done around Metro Manila to inform the public of fire safety tips.
BFP director for operations Carlito Romero said they would deploy 80 fire trucks and were coordinating with volunteer fire fighters.
He said their men would also inspect areas designated as "firecracker zones," where firecrackers will be lighted, to check for proper safe equipment like fire extinguishers and drums of water.
The BFP has a total of 1,271 fire trucks and 94 ambulances nationwide.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno urged all local chief executives to designate in their respective areas firecracker zones where residents can explode their fireworks to greet the New Year.
He said the designation of so-called "firecrackers and pyrotechnic zones" in every province, city, municipality, and barangay could help make the New Year festivities safer for the people and prevent the occurrence of fire incidents that happen during the yearly revelries.
Puno also asked local chief executives to convene their respective peace and order councils or committees and implement their public safety plans that would protect their constituents from the dangers brought about by the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. (AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (December 31, 2007 issue)
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