The celebration of Christmas Day in Negros Occidental, was declared by the police as generally peaceful without any untoward incident, including illegal discharge of firearms, except for a robbery incident, recorded

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, and Col. Jon Aying, 303 rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said they had not received any report of indiscriminate firing from their personnel, up to yesterday.

The muzzles of guns issued to policemen in Negros Occidental had been simultaneously taped on December 21 to prevent indiscriminate firing during the Christmas and New Year's revelries.

Police records showed 10 incidents of stray bullets in Western Visayas last year, including one in Bacolod City, with one casualty.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, deputy regional police director for Operations of the Western Visayas police, said they aim for a “zero casualty” this year, and the practice of gun taping is to remind all police officer not to engage in the illegal discharge of firearms, while celebrating the yuletide season.

Guisihan, however, said that policemen can still fire their guns, if it is in relation to the call of duty, but it should be reported immediately to their superiors.

Meanwhile, police records show that suspects, apparently taking advantage of the holiday season, forcibly entered and ransacked a commercial establishment in Brgy. San Pedro, Binalbagan, taking with them P20,000 in cash and P40,000 worth of valuable items.

On the same day, a police team led by Senior Inspector Joel Batusbatusan arrested a certain Jeron Quitay at a checkpoint in Brgy. 5, San Carlos City, for having two sachets of suspected shabu.

Quitay,23, is now detained at the San Carlos police jail.*GPB

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