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BY RUBY SILUBRICO
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Friday, December 30, 2016
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ILOILO City – Nobody will be allowed to drink liquor and alcoholic beverage on streets, sidewalks, alleys, and open public spaces here from 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
Authorities are enforcing Regulation Ordinance 2011-786 to maintain peace and order during the New Year revelry.
Police and barangay officials and personnel of the city government’s Task Force on Moral and Values Formation will start making rounds tonight, said Senior Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso.
“Drinking sprees along roads attract trouble,” the Iloilo City Police Office director said. “Enforcing the ordinance is our way of preventing untoward incidents.”
Canieso warned: “Those who will insist will be arrested.”
If they want to drink for extended hours, the public can do so inside their houses, he said.
But “celebrating the New Year is not all about drinking,” stressed Canieso. “It’s more about spending time with your loved ones.”
He hopes residents in all 180 barangays in the metro would cooperate.
“We are trying to keep the city peaceful by helping people avoid getting drunk in public places, averting unruly behavior and preventing untoward events,” Canieso said.
A new measure on drinking on streets, sidewalks and public places was introduced at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
While Regulation Ordinance 2011-786 sets a certain time of the day for the ban, the new measure seeks to regulate the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverage on such areas for 24 hours, seven days a week, except during special occasions, such as festivals or fiestas and events sponsored by the city government or barangays.
Under the proposed ordinance of Councilor Jose Efrain “Jay” Treñas III, the “Iloilo City Liquor Licensing and Regulatory Council” will be created to oversee enforcement.
But its approval was deferred. His fellow councilors asked Treñas to clarify whether his measure would be a new ordinance or an amendment of Regulation Ordinance 2011-786.
Currently the Task Force on Moral and Values Formation is tasked to enforce Regulation Ordinance 2011-786.
Meanwhile police will also be watching out for indiscriminate firing of guns.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, hopes there would be no more indiscriminate firing of guns and stray bullet injuries and/or casualties.
Police officers must immediately respond to incidents of indiscriminate firing, dela Rosa stressed.
“Kapag kayo ay nakarinig ng putok sa loob ng bahay, please mag-responde kayo. Puntahan ninyo, katukin ninyo iyong pamamahay o iyong compound,” he told a news conference in Manila.
“Dapat you are in proper uniform and meron kayong patrol car,” he said. “Kung wala kayong patrol car, tumawag kayo ng patrol car, para kapag nakita kayo ng maybahay na kinakatok ninyo, wala naman sigurong rason na hindi kayo papasukin dahil merong narinig na putok sa loob ng pamamahay.”
Dela Rosa ordered all officers to catch indiscriminate firing suspects “within 24 hours.”
If not, “it shall be grounds for the immediate relief of the chief of police,” he said. “When two chiefs of police are relieved for the same incident, the respective provincial director will likewise be relieved. When two provincial directors are relieved, the regional director will be relieved.”/PN
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