PROVINCIAL Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said Tuesday, July 11, that two bullets from a .9mm caliber pistol were discovered at one of the stairs of the Negros Food Terminal Market in Bacolod City last week.
He said the Safety and Security Division has already identified a person of interest.
Nellas said that personnel from the Human Resource Office discovered the bullets on July 3.
"We are looking into possible motives, and the message the person behind the incident wants to send to the provincial government," Nellas said.
"This is the first time the incident happened," he added.
He added that the incident report stated that the bullets were either left behind or fell [from someone's pocket].
"We are looking at the timing and that there were employees whose contracts were not renewed. It may also be a threat," Nellas said.
He also said that they are checking the closed-circuit television footage.
Initially, the video was a bit blurred, he said.
He also said they are checking if the incident was reported to the nearest police station.
Nellas said that he issued a memorandum that firearms are banned in all Capitol offices and district hospitals.
"Watchmen are generally not allowed to carry firearms while the private security guards are allowed, based on their contracts" he added.
Meanwhile, as part of his new task as overall head of private security guards, he has ordered an inventory of personnel, Nellas said.
He said that he has ordered supervisors Orlando Jundos and Ryan Recustodio to go around the district hospitals and other facilities of the provincial government outside the Capitol complex to check the compliance of the private security guards with their contracts.
Security agencies under contract by the Capitol are AGFL Security Agency Inc, ILOBAC Security Agency Inc, and GDA Security Agency Inc.
Nellas said that his new task is to ensure that the security agencies hired by the Capitol comply with the terms and conditions of their contract.
He said that watchmen who are employees of the provincial government are still under the SSD headed by Renelo Lastierre.*
