Five cases of indiscriminate firing and nine firecracker incidents were reported in Metro Manila from Dec. 21 up to 5 a.m. of New Year’s Eve, National Capital Region Police Office head Police Director Guillermo Eleazar said on Monday.
Based on the NCRPO data, Eleazar said the Manila Police District recorded a stray bullet incident that wounded one person; and nine firecracker incidents that hurt nine people.
No fires were recorded in Manila, he said.
Eleazar ordered the five police district heads and the police chiefs in their areas to intensify the campaign against illegal firecrackers.
The NCRPO chief said that 21 illegal firecrackers have been confiscated worth P3,170 but no one was arrested.
Eleazar earlier called on the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any indiscriminate firing of guns to the nearest police station or precinct.
“We want to appeal to the public to be vigilant. If they see men having a drinking spree and one of them has gun in his waist, or [if they] hear gunshots, then report them immediately to the nearest police station,” Eleazar said in Filipino.
Eleazar also said the NCRPO was set to deploy almost 10,000 cops on New Year’s Eve, with the aim of achieving a zero-casualty record in cases of indiscriminate firing of guns.
“We will maximize the deployment of troops from headquarters including at the National Headquarters in Camp Crame,” he said.
He ordered the cancellation of the rest and recreation and other leave applications of policemen and directed them to report for duty during the holidays.
“The concept is to deploy in areas where indiscriminate firing is prevalent or most common,” he said.