The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will deploy a total of 1, 828 security personnel to ensure peace and order during the celebration of the 45th edition of the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City in October this year.
Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Vargas, chief of the City Operations Management Unit (COMU) of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said yesterday that security personnel will be deployed to the city's identified festival sites, such as Bacolod City Public Plaza, Bacolod City Government Center, Lacson Strip, and Megaworld's The Upper East.
He said that of the 1,828 personnel, some will be requested from the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas to augment the city's police.
He added that they had already asked Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to implement signal jamming during the festival's highlights from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 26 and from 12 Noon until 9 p.m. on October 27.
The police also asked the mayor for the implementation of the city-wide gun ban
or suspension of permits to carry firearms outside the residence to prevent any firearms-related incidents during the duration of the festival.
Vargas said policemen will be deployed on October 1 to secure the festival sites.
He said policemen will be assigned to the entrance and exit of the festival sites to check the backpacks of the MassKara revelers.
Moreover, Bacolod City Secretary to the Mayor Joseph Karol Chiu said the mayor already forwarded the request of the BCPO for the suspension of permits to carry firearms outside residence to the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas.
He said for the signal jamming, BCPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica also requested for the creation of a coordination committee for the celebration of the festival and to discuss further the signal jamming.
" We will discuss this if we need to implement the signal jamming during the festival," he added. /MAP.