BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines ---The Bacolod City Police Office has requested the PNP Central Office for a temporary gun ban during the MassKara Festival here from October 1-19.
The request was made by BCPO director Sr. Supt. Ricardo dela Paz and this was endorsed by City Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
Leonardia said, in a recent regular meeting of the City Peace and Order Council, he agreed with the suggestion of Dela Paz for the suspension of the permits to carry firearms through the 19-day celebration of the MassKara Festival.
"The MassKara Festival is the time of the year when we have an overflow of visitors, therefore we cannot afford any untoward incident during the festival that will hurt our image," Leonardia said highlighting the importance of the festival to the tourism industry in the city.
Leonardia said MassKara time is an extraordinary time and it requires extraordinary precautions and preparations in terms of peace and security for the city.
The mayor believed the gun ban should be the policy of the city every MassKara Festival.