BACOLOD City – No crimes were recorded in three festival sites in the city four days after the MassKara Festival kicked off, according to the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
These festival sites are the public plaza, Bacolod City Government Center and Tourism Strip on Lacson Street.
Chief Inspector Sherlock Gabana, spokesman of the BCPO, said the crimes recorded in the past four days were “not MassKara-related.”
The crimes were committed outside the festival sites, he added.
Gabana attributed the zero number of MassKara crimes to the BCPO’s intensified security operations.
Despite this, he still urged revelers to be vigilant.
“Indi gid sila makompyansa kay nabantayan sang lawless elements ang likod sang pulis,” he stressed.
He added that keeping the 21-day celebration safe is “everybody’s concern.”
Revelers were reminded not to bring prohibited items (backpacks and pointed objects, among others) and valuable items (jewelry and expensive gadgets) to the festival venues.
Using drones without a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, vaping, smoking, and using firecrackers in the sites are also not allowed.
Parents must also keep an eye on their children.
Should there be untoward incidents, revelers are urged to call the police hotline or report to police officers nearby.
The MassKara Festival began on Oct. 8. It will run until Oct. 28./PN
