BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – As part of the security measures for this year’s Dinagyang Festival, an 11-day gun ban will be enforced as well as modified mobile phone signal jamming during major events.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Rene Obregon, deputy director for operations of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), said the gun ban will be from Jan. 13 to 23. Only police personnel will be allowed to carry firearms.
“We are almost all set with our safety plans and starting Friday (Jan. 13) we will already establish our border control. We will conduct checkpoint operations outside and in between the municipalities of Oton, Pavia and Leganes,” Obregon said.
Jan. 13 is the Dinagyang opening salvo.
With regards to mobile phone signal jamming in specific areas, Obregon said they are waiting for its approval.
“Ang aton nga request for signal shutdown is didto na sa NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) and we hope that suportahan kita. We are doing this as the last option against terrorist activities,” said Obregon.
The ICPO proposed that during the highlights of the festival on Jan. 21 and 22, there will be a signal jamming from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the City Proper only.
Specifically, it will cover Plaza Libertad, Freedom Grandstand, Plazoleta Gay, provincial capitol, Delgado and Quezon-Ledesma streets, the Iloilo Central Market and University of Iloilo – PHINMA.
These areas will be the venues of various events such as the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan and Grand Religious Sadsad on Jan. 21, and Dinagyang sa Barangay Tribes Competition on Jan. 22, and food festival, among others.
In Mandurriao district there will also be signal jamming from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Jan. 21 for the Dinagyang Ilomination and Floats Parade of Lights.
Obregon said security preparation for the festival will be manned by around 6,000 personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Public Safety and Transportation Management Office, Reserved Officers Training Corps of colleges and universities in Iloilo, and other force multipliers.
The Police Regional Office 6 will be sending over 2,000 personnel; some are currently deployed in Kalibo, Aklan for the Ati-atihan Festival. (With reports from the Philippine News Agency)/PN
