By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The mayor of Negros Occidental’s Murcia town will hold a meeting with restobar owners in the municipality after a proposal was forwarded by the town police chief to limit the establishments’ operating hours.

Murcia police chief, Major Mark Joel Reclamado’s proposal was in response to a bar brawl last Friday, March 31, which killed three individuals, including an off-duty cop.

In a radio interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod, Mayor Gerry Rojas said he would issue an executive order requiring all restobar owners to have their own security guards and closed-circuit television cameras in their establishments.

Rojas said the security guards will be tasked with searching for any deadly weapons of bar goers.

Operating hours would also be limited until 12:00 midnight only.

The mayor also assured his constituents that he would look into all available options to address the other recent high-profile crime incidents in the town, such as the recent recovery of two human remains.

On Friday, Police Corporal Gabby Castillo was stabbed multiple times in a restobar brawl he tried to pacify.

Other fatalities were Benedict Maguad and Marvin Guardavilla.

Meanwhile, Police Staff Sergeants Namilou Sapuan and Jaytie Misme, and bar owner Fernando Diaz were wounded in the scuffle.

The suspects — identified as Marjun Gallano, Junjie Gallano and Venus Grace Catbagan — were arrested and charged with multiple frustrated murder over the incident.

On the same day, town police also recovered the remains of an unidentified man in the town’s Barangay Damsite.

Earlier, a sack containing human bones was also recovered in the same area and police have yet to say if the incidents are connected./DGB, WDJ