The Bacolod City Police Office is on the look-out for several gangs in the city especially because classes will start a week from now, Acting City Police Director Supt. Leo Irwin Agpangan said.

He said they are not lowering their guard even if there have been no reported gang wars in Bacolod in the past four months, because most of the gang members in the city have been neutralized.

Bacolod Schools Division Superintendent, Milagros Gonzales, meanwhile, admitted that this is one of their concerns as  classes open on June 1.

She said that they received information that several gang members are recruiting elementary pupils in some public schools.

Some pupils are lured to join these gangs because they lack attention and proper guidance from their parents, and because they want to have peer groups, she said.

Aside from the gangs, both the City police office and the Bacolod Education office are also worried about the possible proliferation of illegal drugs.

Agpangan said he has already instructed the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group to sustain their operation and make sure that drugs do not proliferate in schools.

CLASS OPENING

The National Schools Maintenance Week, dubbed the “Brigada Eskuwela”, was launched Monday in compliance with the Memorandum Circular 168, series of 2009, of the Department of Education.

“Brigada Eskuwela”, which will end on June 1, aims to promote partnerships among parents, students, teachers and other civic groups in making the public schools ready for the opening of classes.

To secure students during the opening of classes on June 1, the Bacolod police will also launch the “Oplan Balik Eskuwela”.

The city police are also mapping out measures to prevent traffic swelling on June 1.*APN

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