AROUND 2,000 security personnel, majority of them from the police, will be deployed today, October 21, to various areas of Bacolod to ensure the peace and order of the 40th MassKara Festival from October 7 to 27.
The send-off ceremony will be held at the Bacolod Government Center at 8 a.m.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said yesterday Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa, cannot attend the activity because of his busy schedule.
He said the send-off ceremony will be led by Police Regional Office (PRO)- Western Visayas director Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan.
The security personnel includes the members of the Philippine National Police, Maritime Group, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Army.
Pico noted an additional augmentation personnel from PRO-6 are also set to arrive in the city today.
On October 7, about 600 policemen from PRO-6 also 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.
Pico said they earlier requested a total of 1,600 augmentation personnel from PRO-6, but some of them are expected to arrive during the highlights of the festival.
This year’s festival, BCPO will deploy a total of 3,220 personnel - comprised of 58 police commissioned officers, 3,162 police non-commissioned officers, and 400 force multipliers.
BCPO will also provide at least 47 motorcycles, 23 patrol cars, and 59 hand-held radios for the city’s security personnel.