POLICE have been ordered to patrol their respective communities and arrest those indiscriminately firing their weapons during the New Year revelry.
PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa said all uniformed policemen would be deployed in all corners of the community on the lookout for irresponsible gun owners and loose gun holders firing their weapons at the height of the New Year’s celebration.
“When you see a person firing a gun inside his house, immediately barge in and don’t let the gun used concealed. This is for public safety. It would be pitiful for would-be innocent victims,” Dela Rosa said.
At least 24 incidents of illegal discharge of firearms, nine of which occurred in Metro Manila with 17 persons arrested, seven of those policemen, four blue guards and the rest civilians for indiscriminate firing of guns in 2015 that claimed the life of a young girl in the Cordillera region.
The illegal firing of guns has injured 43 innocent civilians, most of whom from Metro Manila, seven in Calabarzon, six in Western Visayas, and five in the Cordilleras.
Dela Rosa has canceled the holiday break of all policemen to dedicate most of their time instead to the people safeguarding their safety against crooked cops and civilians while celebrating the 2017 revelry.
“I am cancelling their privilege to go on New Year’s break. They have enough time to be with their families before 5 p.m.” Dela Rosa said.
“Let’s dedicate the 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. [stretch] to the people, forget your family and focus first on your duty,” Dela Rosa said.
He also warned Regional Directors, Chief’s of Police, and Provincial Directors for potential relief from their posts if someone was killed caused by stray bullet incidents.
“ If someone is killed due to indiscriminate firing, the COP or police station commander would be automatically relieved,” Dela Rosa said.
“I formulated these in order for Regional Directors to focus on their job and, for those RDs on vacation, they have to cancel [their vacation] and report to their assignment to supervise their men properly in the implementation of ‘zero casualty’ during the New Year celebration,” Dela Rosa said.
As for policemen involved in the indiscriminate firing of guns, Dela Rosa said “they will be facing grave misconduct charges and punishable by separation from the police service.”
To effectively enforce the campaign, Dela Rosa also asked the active participation of village officials and local executives to report any illegal discharge incidents to patrolling policemen in their communities.
“We are appealing to everyone to have pity on people who would be victims of stray bullets from the gun you fired and if you’re a license gun holder and the bullet is traced (to) your gun, you will face criminals charges,” Dela Rosa said.