24-hour ultimatum to solve stray bullet cases

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

Chiefs of police in areas where stray bullet incidents occur must solve these cases immediately.

How immediate?

“Within 24 hours,” Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, said.

On Monday, the region’s top cop declared that he will implement the “one-strike” policy on unsolved stray bullet incidents that will cause injury or death.

The order is a reiteration of the directive from the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame.

“Chiefs of police will be given 24 hours to solve the case or they will be relieved from their posts,” he said.

Pamuspusan said he will immediately designate someone to take over the vacated post.

Last year, Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 recorded three stray bullets incidents that injured two persons.

One person was later arrested for indiscriminate firing.

In the same period, PRO-6 also recorded 94 firecracker-related incidents which injured 94 persons, mostly minors between 5 and 15 years old.

Meanwhile, Pamuspusan said that PRO-6 remains on full alert status as it aims for zero major incidents on Christmas and New Year celebrations.

With the Philippines having the longest Christmas celebration, Pamupuspusan noted the influx of people to commercial districts, congestion on the roads, transportation hubs, and other places of convergence is experienced.

While most enjoy the merriment, PRO-6 is not discounting the possibility that lawless elements may take advantage and carry out their nefarious activities.

On top of that, the threats of the terrorists or criminal individual or groups cannot be discounted.

“I assure the public that PRO-6 will provide security coverage to deliver public safety services to the to the Ilonggo communities focusing on the Enhanced Managing Police Operations (E-MPO) strategy,” he said.

Pamuspusan said they also beefed-up their regular law enforcement activities like intensified police visibility in the different areas.

They would also couple it with focused law enforcement operations wherein they would aggressively implement applicable laws; conduct operations against suspected terror and criminal groups; and immediate resolution of cases.

Pamupusan said they will also heighten their security measures through target hardening, border control operations, and proper deployment of resources to meet the peculiar security requirement of every area in the region.

“All our units will also be on defensive stance to focus anti-criminality and anti-terrorism activities,” he said.

Pamupusan also reassured the public that PRO-6 is full force.

“We will guarantee that you will have a peaceful celebration together with your families at your respective homes,” he said.

In the same manner, “we also appeal for your cooperation for us to be able to achieve our desired objective for this year. Together let us have a more peaceful, orderly and safer celebration of the Yuletide Season,” he said.