Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and City Police Officer in charge Senior Supt. Celestino Guara yesterday assured that stringent security measures will be taken at the MassKara Festival site following the shooting and stabbing incidents that occurred during the weekend.

Leonardia said inasal vendors are being prohibited from using knives in the barbeque area and are also being required to remove the pointed end of barbeque sticks. Police will be frisking not only male, but also female revelers who enter the festival site.

Guara said they will verify reports that minors are allegedly served liquor in some kiosks at the festival site. The kiosks owners will be meted appropriate penalties if they are caught, he added. He also said they will strictly implement curfew for minors.

Guara admitted that they lack police personnel at the festival site because the Regional Mobile Group and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office did not allow the deployment of their personnel in Bacolod .

Both NOPPO and RMG were supposed to send 50 personnel each to help the city police in maintaining peace and order while the MassKara festival is ongoing but because of Annual General Inspection/ Operational Readiness Security Inspection Test and Evaluation these did not push through.

Leonardia, however, said that, hopefully, they will be available on Oct. 9, when the crowd number is expected to double. He also requested the public to report any suspicious looking characters or activities to the nearest police station.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said that because of the activities at the plaza they are augmenting the enforcers of the Bacolod Traffic Authority.

He said they have added personnel for the road closures and will have additional manpower if the mayor approves their pending request. They may also tap the services of barangay tanods in the barangays surrounding the festival site to augment the existing personnel, though it will entail additional expenses.

As for traffic problems, Sayson said the public can call the BTAO hotline at 433-7143 which will be manned 24-hours.*APN/CGS

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