‘Pasalamat Festival 2016’ in Pagadian City culminates Sunday

Port area where the Regatta and Fluvial

parade are being held.(Photo by JONG CADION)

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Jan. 15 (PNA) – The local police have enjoined the public to refrain from using backpacks in areas of activities as the “Pasalamat Festival 2016” is culminating on Sunday with the feast of this city’s patron saint, the Señor Sto. Niño.

Supt. Michael Palermo, city police chief, made the call Friday citing it is part of the strengthened security measures to ensure a peace and successful celebration of the Sto. Niño fiesta.

Palermo also urged the public to refrain from wearing sunglasses, jackets, baseball caps and bags in going to the venue of activities.

Palermo said several main thoroughfares would be closed on Sunday for the street dancing competition and for the procession to the Sto. Niño Parish Church.

Since Thursday up to Sunday security measures are also tight at the port area where the Regatta and Fluvial parade are being held.

The security in the area are being jointly handled by the Maritime police and coastguard with the support of the Barangay Emergency Response Team (BERT) from the 12 coastal barangays of this city.

Troops from the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion and police augmentation force are providing security in other parts of this city.

The Pasalamat Festival reeled-off Jan. 8 and will culminate on Sunday, Jan. 17, which is the feast day of the Señor St. Niño. (PNA)

RMA/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION

First day of gun ban enforcement yields zero arrest in Zambo Sur

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (Jan. 11, 2016) – Senior Supt. Michael Nicolas, provincial police director, announced that on the first day of the election gun ban enforcement yielded zero arrest and confiscation of firearms in this province.

The gun ban took effect midnight of January 10 in time for the start of the election period for the May 2016 presidential and local elections pursuant to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 3328.

City Police Chief Supt. Michael Palermo said that in Pagadian City during the first day of implementation mostly arrested are in violation of RA 4136 or violation of traffic rules and regulation.

Supt. Nicolas said that in the province some were arrested in violation of 4136 in four nearby towns of Pitogo, San Miguel, Dumalinao and Labangan and illegal drugs in the nearby municipality of Josefin wherein 10 sachet of shabut were confiscated with two suspects arrested.

No one was arrested in firearms when they simultaneously conducted checkpoints in the entire province at the start of the gun ban, Nicolas added.

Nicolas’ area of responsibility is the entire province that consists of one component city and 26 municipalities.

Nicolas said that random checkpoints will be conducted along the national highways to ensure compliance of Comelec Resolution No. 3328.

The Comelec resolution stated that only policemen and soldiers including security guards and other security government agencies are allowed to carry firearms during work hours in their areas of responsibility for the duration of the election period.

Atty. Jossil Macute, acting provincial election supervisor, said those who wish to be exempted from the gun ban may apply online with the Comelec’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).

By JONG D. CADION