IN SPITE of the absence of President Rodrigo Duterte on the highlights of the 40th MassKara Festival, the signal jamming is still implemented in festival sites in Bacolod City.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), stressed this Friday, October 25, after the National Telecommunications (NTC) earlier issued a memorandum directing the Globe Telecom and Smart Communications Inc. to cut off all network services during MassKara Festival from October 25 to 27.
Duterte was supposed to attend the Electric MassKara, but he only sent his official representative, Department of Tourism Undersecretary for legal and Special Concerns Edwin Enrile, who is also the chief-of-staff of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, due to the unbearable pain in the spine.
Pico said the signal jamming already started Friday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Lacson Street. On October 26 and 27, it will be implemented again in the area of Lizares-Araneta Streets from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"It's part of our security measures to maintain the peace and order during the highlights of the festival, so we are asking the support of the MassKara revelers," he said.
He added that about 2, 074 security forces were already deployed in various areas of Bacolod to ensure a peaceful MassKara celebration.
Pico also reiterated his reminder to the MassKara revelers that backpacks, ball caps, bladed weapons, and pointed sticks are prohibited at the festival sites to avoid untoward incidents.
"We already announced this before the celebration for our MassKara revelers because it's part of our security measures," Pico said.
This, after some netizens posted on social media that they were not allowed entry to the festival sites because of their backpacks.
"We want to secure the safety of everybody because the lawless elements were using backpacks for their weapons such as bladed weapon, firearms, or improvise explosives, among others," Pico said.
He said from October 7, there were no reported major crime incidents in the city's festival sites.
He added that using drones without a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and bringing bottle of beer in the festival sites are also not allowed during the highlights.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran also urged the public to cooperate with the security personnel for the success of the 40th MassKara Festival.
"Our policemen are doing their job to ensure a peaceful celebration, so let's cooperate," Familiaran said.