* City gun ban okayed by PNP
* DCPO, TFD vow peaceful Araw
By Jade C. Zaldivar
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday gave orders to ‘shoot to kill’ criminals who obstruct the law during the celebrations of the 75thAraw ng Davao.
In an official statement issued to media outlets through the City Information Office, the lady mayor said the police should not hesitate in terminating criminals with ill intent.
“The police will be going after all who are outside their residence, suspected to be carrying a gun. Arrest and prosecute or shoot to kill if the lives of the public are in danger during apprehension,” Duterte-Carpio said in a text message.
This, as the local government received March 7 a response from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters approving the resolution declaring a month-long gun ban here.
Commenting to the Mayor’s order, Police Regional Office 11 director P/C Superintendent Jaime Morente said he had given his concurrence.
“Yan naman is a call to police officers if there is threat to life. Siyempre self-defense in the use of firearms is justified,” Morente said on local TV.
The city mayor’s orders coincided with Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s statement March 6 regarding criminals.
Duterte said on top of the police’ job is the public’s safety.
“Kung tan-aw nimo naay posibilidad nga ang tao nga naay baril mandamay ug ubang tao tumbaha na. Ang pulis mupatay man gyud na. Ilaha nang trabaho,” Duterte said during the live airing of Ato ni Bay at the City Council conference room.
In a formal correspondence to the mayor received March 7, the national police gave its nod to the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) resolution dated February 28 requesting Director General Nicanor Bartolome to declare a gun ban in Davao City as a security measure during the celebrations of the 75th Araw ng Davao.
The mayor earlier said she is “merely applying measures to be done by the police as a sure-fire means against criminality.”
“This is to ensure the safety of the public and our visitors during the celebration,” the mayor said.
Gun ban effective
Morente announced that all permit to carry firearms given to civilians will be cancelled for this month, emphasizing visitors should be aware of this.
“Gusto ko lang ipaalam sa lahat, lalo na sa yung nabigyan ng mga permit to carry firearms outside of their residence or PTC, galing man dito man o sa karatig na probinsya, the PTC is suspended for a period of one (1) month starting March 1 to 31,” Morente said.
The city mayor during the February CPOC meeting said the guidelines for the gun ban will follow those delineated during the elections which states that:
– No person shall bear, carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same.
– Only regular members of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agencies of the Government who are duly deputized…may be authorized to carry and possess firearms.
Duterte-Carpio on February 28 clarified that those under the witness protection program should make an appeal to the Department of Interior and Local Government for an exemption.
Araw security set
PRO 11 director Morente said the police will continue conducting checkpoints, in and outside the city in securing Davao City.
“Most of these will be random checkpoints. (We will continue) our utility of uniforms and yung mga covert operatives natin just ensure that the celebrations will be safe and mapigilan ang mga gun-related incidents during the celebration,” Morente said.
Meanwhile, Davao City Public Safety officer Magno Adalin Jr. said the city will be installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in strategic areas of the city in aid of monitoring.
“We cannot tell you exactly where we will be putting these CCTV cameras but these will be installed as a security measure,” Adalin said yesterday said during the weekly I-Speak forum at the City Hall conference room.
During the CPOC meeting held March 7 at the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC), heads of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Task Force Davao (TFD) vowed to secure a peaceful Araw ng Davao celebration.
The police earlier announced that the city is currently on high-alert status as security groups are on their toes keeping the city’s security.
“The police is 101 percent committed,” said DCPO director Senior Supt. Ronald dela Rosa while TFD commander Colonel Marcos Norman S. Flores Jr. assured that the anti-terrorist unit “is fully committed.”
Flores said almost 100 percent of the TFD personnel will be deployed while Dela Rosa summed up that security personnel during Araw celebrations will reach 2,000 coming from the DCPO and other peacekeeping agencies.
Augmentation to the police force will come from the Task Force Davao (TFD) together with the Special Cafgu Active Auxilliary (SCAA), the Regional Public Safety Battalion, Davao City Public Safety Command Center, Philippine Maritime Group, Highway Patrol Group, the Central 911, the Bureau of Fire Protection, Army Reserved Command, Traffic Management Center, and civilian volunteers.
DCPO Operations chief Supt. Ruben Ramos briefed the CPOC members that there will be three layers of security to be applied:
– The inner layer is composed of units that directly provide area security in every event;
– The middle layer is composed of units conducting police visibility patrol and mobile checkpoints within the city proper; and
– The outer layer will be the units assigned to check all entry points from South, North, and Bukidnon Provinces.
The Security Deployment showed that said the DCPO, TFD and other security units and offices have coordinated on how many of their personnel will be deployed during each activities in the span of the festival.
The Security Detail during major festival activities are:
– The Hudyakaan celebration which will run throughout the month will receive: 40 personnel from DCPO, 23 from TFD, 54 from PSCC, 11 from TMC, and 10 from Central 911.
– During the 1st Mayor Inday Sara Duterte Athlete’s Recognition program: 18 personnel from DCPO, 23 from TFD, and 2 from TMC.
– During the Thanksgiving Mass there will be: 31 personnel from DCPO, 11 from TFD, and 19 from the TMC.
– For the Opening of the 75th Araw ng Dabaw: 29 from DCPO, 27 from TFD, 11 from TMC, and 20 from Central 911.
– Mutya nd Dabaw Coronation Night: 45 personnel from DCPO, 27 from TFD, 20 from PSCC, and 13 from TMC.
– Sayawan sa Da’n on March 15 will receive a total of 698 personnel from the DCPO, TFD, and other units, assigned to the city’s different major avenues where the street dancing will take place.
– Parada Dabawenyo on March 16 will receive a total of 923 consolidated number of personnel from DCPO, TFD and other units.
