AFP, PNP teams on guard against indiscriminate firing in Metro

Combined elements of the police and military will patrol communities in Metro Manila populated by uniformed personnel to prevent any indiscriminate firing as the clock winds down to the New Year revelry.

National Capital Regional Police Office chief Director Vidal Querol said the technical working group of the NCRPO and the military’s National Capital Region Command (NCRC) will meet at 10 a.m. today at the NCRPO headquarters at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to forge a common stand on how to conduct joint patrols on New Year’s Eve.

"We will be talking how to conduct our joint patrols to prevent miscommunication and misunderstanding among us while we are enforcing rules and regulations governing the indiscriminate firing of firearms to welcome the New Year," Querol said.

According to Querol, top officials of the Bureau of Fire (BOF) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) will also attend the meeting.

NCRC commander Lt. Gen. Allan Cabalquinto has committed at least 100 military personnel to the purpose.

Querol said among the areas being considered for the deployment are Signal Village in Taguig, Barangay West Crame in San Juan and other housing projects for PNP and AFP personnel.

The NCRPO recorded at least 23 incidents of indiscriminate firing to welcome the New Year last year. Four of the victims were killed, 21 others were rushed to various hospitals. None of the suspects was arrested.

Querol expressed hope that the deployment of joint police and military patrols in areas heavily occupied by uniformed personnel would be one way of reducing casualties from indiscriminate firing during the New Year celebration.

Earlier, the NCRPO chief directed his five police districts to open their firing range to the public on the eve of the revelry for free use by trigger-happy policemen, soldiers and civilians.

Querol also ordered the 37 chiefs of police in Metro Manila to seal with masking tape the nozzles of firearms of their men to prevent them from firing their guns during the revelry.

He has likewise asked local government officials to designate firecracker zones in their areas to lessen civilian casualties this year.

The NCRPO said two firecrackers blast victims were killed while 228 others were hospitalized and the same number were treated at various hospitals this year.

According to Querol, the NCRPO has placed checkpoints along strategic areas of Metro Manila, especially on the boundary of Bulacan, the traditional source of firecrackers. He also ordered his men to strictly enforce local ordinances regulating the use and selling of firecrackers in their areas of responsibility.

"Our goal is to reduce the number of casualties not only on indiscriminate firing but also on firecracker blasts and we cannot do this alone so we enlisted the help of our counterpart in the military and the jail and fire officials," said Querol.