IN BACOLOD
168 motorcycle drivers arrested
for having minors as passengers

The Bacolod City Police Traffic Management Unit has arrested 168 motorcycle drivers since last month, for having passengers seven years old and below, that is prohibited under the law, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, city police director, said yesterday.

De la Paz has said that the number of motorcycle drivers apprehended for this violation is very alarming. “Despite our intensified campaign against allowing children to ride in motorcycles, many drivers still defy it”, he added.

Under Republic Act 10054, children should not be allowed on board the motorcycles as they cannot properly secure themselves. Violators will be meted a fine of P3,000 to P10,000.

De la Paz added that TMU also issued 1,009 citation tickets since last month to motorcycle drivers caught not wearing helmets while traversing the city’s main thoroughfares.

TMU records show that 194 motorcycles were issued clean stickers, while 1,400 motorcycles and tricycles were impounded at the Bacolod City Police headquarters, after the drivers failed to present documents proving their ownership.*APN

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Army to continuously reach out
to rebels in WV for peace dialog

Despite repeated rejections from the Communist Party of the Philippines –New People’s Army, the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army will continue to reach out for a dialog with the mainstream communist rebel faction in Western Visayas, Major General Jose Mabanta Jr. said.

Mabanta, 3ID commanding general, said a dialog for the permanent and peaceful end of all armed conflicts at the regional level of the CPP-NPA is now in the forefront of their campaign, in support of the peace building efforts of the national government.

He said they will exert more effort to reach out to the CPP-NPA in Western Visayas.

“While we continue to adhere to agreements and talks entered into by the government, the 3ID, together with peace advocates, believes that, among us, the Army and the CPP/NPA/NDF, at our level in Western Visayas, there should be an effort for the same kind of dialog, Mabanta said.

Priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front-Negros, in his statements previously released to the local media, dismissed the proposed localized peace talks as a mere publicity stunt and part of the military “psychological operations”.

With the snowballing call for peace by the majority in Western Visayas, Mabanta said he is calling the CPP/NPA/NDF to respond positively to the dialog. “Our immediate concern is to how to spare non-combatants from armed conflict", he added.*GPB

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BCPO intensifies
visibility in schools

Fifty members of the Regional Public Safety Management Battalion arrived in Bacolod City yesterday to boost police visibility, for the start of the school year.

Senior Insp. Lester Leada, chief of the City Police Operations Branch, said Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, BCPO director, has instructed him to deploy RPSMB members to various stations in Bacolod, and to ensure security in the public elementary, high schools and the colleges and universities in Bacolod.

He said those assigned to the elementary and high schools will need to stay in the campuses until the end of classes at 5:30 p.m., while those detailed in the colleges can only leave their post at 8:30 p.m.

Aside from the RPSMB members, 60 personnel from the Police Regional Office-6 Training School also arrived in Bacolod yesterday for a six-month field training.

Leada said the RTS personnel will also be assigned to stations so they will be exposed to police work, patrolling, and traffic management.*APN

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