By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
BACOLOD City – The security plans set by both the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) as well as the Philippine Army are now ready for the MassKara Festival, which already began on Friday night with the MassKara Kick-Off Salubong event at the Bacolod City Government Center.
Police Lieutenant Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO spokesperson, said they will send 322 additional police personnel to the BCPO.
The number of personnel to be sent was agreed upon during the joint security meeting earlier this week.
Matters also tackled in the joint-security meeting included the security protocols at the Panaad Park and Stadium which will host the “MassKara sa Panaad” event from Oct. 10 to 16.
It can be recalled earlier that security at the Panaad Park and Stadium fell under the jurisdiction of NOCPPO as the facility is owned by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
However, the filing of criminal charges for any incidents that will happen inside the park falls under the responsibility of the BCPO’s Police Station 7 in the city’s Barangay Mansilingan.
Meanwhile, Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (303 IBde) commander Brigadier Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte said the Philippine Army also sent their own personnel to further augment the security of the festival.
According to Pasaporte, he has not yet met with Bacolod City mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, although he affirmed that the city mayor had sent him a letter asking him for additional security support.
Aside from their own personnel, Pasaporte said they will also deploy K-9 units during the festivities and one of the services they could offer to the city is crowd control./PN
