DUMAGUETE CITY: Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel in Negros Oriental will face stiff sanctions if caught indiscriminately firing or irresponsibly using their guns during the holiday season, particularly on New Year’s Eve.
Provincial police director Col. Reynaldo Lizardo said in a media interview on Monday there is no directive this year for the cops to tape the muzzle of their issued firearms during New Year’s Eve as a method of determining whether a gun was fired or not.
“Our instructions are for us to be responsible in the use of our firearms,” Lizardo said in mixed English and Filipino.
He said when visiting police stations, he reminds the personnel of the basic rules on the handling of firearms and “all of it is in relation to public service because the carrying of firearms is part of our uniform”.
On Christmas and New Year’s breaks, PNP personnel are given a certain number of days off work so they can spend some time during the holidays with their families, he said.
“But those breaks are just temporary and a privilege because we can pull them out any time during an emergency or when the need arises and they are obliged to report for work,” Lizardo said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
