By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Amidst preparations for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, with meetings scheduled in Bacolod City this month, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, said they will start rounding up suspected individuals and gangs associated with vandalizing structures in the city.
In a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), yesterday morning, Wanky said they have already identified several gangs based on online social media profiles.
He said these gangs primarily target important road signage for vandalism.
Wanky added he aims to talk with the group, warning them to stop the activity.
He also said, if they catch any of the individuals in the future, they will be criminally charged in violation of City Ordinance (CO) 534, or the anti-vandalism ordinance of 2011.
The charge carries a maximum of six months to one year imprisonment and a fine of around P5,000.
City Administrator, Atty. John Orola, also noted there has been an increase in the number of establishments defaced by vandals.
“The walls in the city have been heavily defaced,” Orola said. “Gangs are no longer scared of the authorities.”
Meanwhile, Wanky also stated the declaration of a city-wide gun ban during the ASEAN meetings, from March 21 to 24, would no longer be necessary, explaining security in the venue sites are tight.
“The gun ban is not necessary for now, because I believe licensed gun owners in the city will be responsible enough,” Wanky said./WDJ