NEWLY designated Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa will lead the send-off of augmentation forces for the 40th MassKara Festival on Monday, October 21, at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds.
Colonel Henry Biñas, director of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said Gamboa will deliver his message to the augmentation personnel.
The send-off rites will start after the Mass at 7:15 a.m. at the Bacolod City Government Center lobby.
The BCPO earlier said they will deploy a total of 3,220 personnel - comprised of 58 police commissioned officers and 3,162 police non-commissioned officers - and 400 force multipliers.
The BCPO will deploy at least 47 motorcycles, 23 patrol cars, and 59 hand-held radios, while additional patrol cars will be arriving on October 19.
He said another batch of augmentation personnel from Police Regional Office-Western Visayas (PRO-6) are expected to arrive next week to beef up the existing city police force for the festival.
Last Sunday, a total of 600 policemen from PRO-6 arrived in Bacolod and were already deployed to various areas especially in the city’s festival sites at the Bacolod Government Center, Public Plaza, and Lacson Street, as well as in Manokan Country area to maintain peace and order.
Gamboa is also expected to visit the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
He assumed his post after PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde resigned from his post last October 14. (PR)