2,000 security, emergency personnel to be deployed for highlight week
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

More than 2,000 police, military, and emergency personnel in Bacolod City for the  MassKara Festival’s highlight week began their deployment yesterday with a send-off ceremony led by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran.
Also in attendance were Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) director, Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan; Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) director, Police Colonel Romeo Baleros; Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Colonel Henry Biñas; and BCPO deputy director, Police Lt. Colonel Jovie Espenido.
A majority of the force is made up of police, including members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force.
K-9 units from both the Philippine Army 303rd Infantry Brigade and the Philippine Coast Guard were also deployed for bomb and drug-sniffing duties.
In addition, authorities also detailed 347 vehicles including ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, and military trucks.
Units from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, and volunteer anti-crime groups are also part of the city’s force./DGB, WDJ