SAFE CELEBRATION. Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), says the police in the region aim to have zero major incidents in the celebration of Christmas and New Year, during a press conference in Iloilo City on Monday (Dec. 23, 2019). From December 1 to 23, the PRO 6 has no stray bullet incident recorded. (PNA photo by Gail Momblan)
ILOILO CITY -- The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) is working to attain its aim to have zero major incidents on the celebration of the Christmas and New Year, according to its top police officer.
In a press conference Monday at Camp Delgado here, Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, PRO 6 regional director, said the police in the region targets to reduce the cases of stray bullet-caused injuries or even death, and firecracker-related incidents.
The influx of people and transportation to places of convergence and commercial districts might be seen as an opportunity of the lawless elements to carry out illegal activities, he said.
The threats from the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), which is expected to mark their anniversary on December 26, can also post as a security challenge.
“With this, Police Regional Office 6 will provide security coverage to deliver public safety services to the Ilonggo communities focusing on the enhanced managing police operations strategy,” Pamuspusan said.
He bared that the police in the region has boosted regular law enforcement activities with police presence deployed in strategic areas.
“We have also the focused law enforcement operations which will aggressively implement applicable laws, conduct operations against suspected terror and criminal groups and immediate resolution of cases,” he added.
Last year, he said the regional office recorded three stray bullet incidents with two persons injured and one arrested for indiscriminate firing.
From December 1 to 23 this year, Pamuspusan said no stray bullet incident was recorded in the region.
“We have not recorded a single incident on that matter and hopefully, it will remain as zero,” he said.
Pamuspusan also reminded the chiefs of police of the “One-Strike policy” from the Philippine National Police headquarters.
Such policy gives chiefs of police 24 hours to solve the case of stray bullet incidents that will cause injury or death, or they will be relieved from their posts.
“If he or she cannot solve within 24 hours, he will be relieved and we will place someone who can immediately solve that incident,” he added. (PNA)
