Philippine National Police chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome, has approved a temporary city-wide gun ban in Bacolod City while the MassKara Festival is ongoing, Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said yesterday.

Bartolome ordered that all Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) are temporarily suspended from October 1 to 23 in Bacolod City.

In his letter to the Police Regional Office-6 yesterday, Bartolome said that only the members of the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcers who are performing official duties, and are in uniform will be allowed to carry their firearms.

He said the gun ban is part of the security preparations to ensure that the celebration of the 32nd MassKara Festival will be free from firearm-related incidents and safe for residents and tourists.

Bartolome said the gun ban will be implemented through the police integrated patrol system, which includes the conduct of checkpoints, “oplan bakal”, mobile beat patrols, and other police security operations, in close coordination with the AFP and other law enforcement agencies.

De la Paz said that with the approval of the gun ban, the city police has also temporarily canceled all the gun permits it had issued, which means, no civilians will be allowed to carry firearms outside their homes.

The MassKara Festival last year was free from gun-related incidents because of the implementation of the gun ban, he said.

Aside from guns, the Bacolod City Police will also intensify their campaign against bladed weapons because, based on their records, most of the untoward incidents during the MassKara Festival last year was perpetrated with the use of bladed weapons, de la Paz said.

BCPO ill be augmented by 1,088 policemen who are arriving soon for the 19-day MassKara Festival.

Of the number, 478 are from the Regional Training School, 80 from the Regional Public Safety Battalion, and 50 from the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office. The rest are new policemen from Guimaras who are now undergoing anti-insurgency campaign training.*APN

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