The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported on Saturday that stray bullet incidents were down by 81 percent with the number of illegal discharge of firearms dropping to 43 percent in the recent holiday season.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año attributed this to the close police monitoring and patrolling of key areas nationwide.
While most were celebrating the Yuletide season with their families, Año said police officers on duty were out on the road closely monitoring and patrolling the streets to prevent any untoward incidents.
Based on official reports from the PNP, there were only three incidents of stray bullets, and zero injury from December 16, 2019 to January 1, 2020 as compared to 16 incidents that had 12 persons being injured during the same period last year.
Twenty-one persons were also arrested for illegal discharge of firearms resulting to seven injuries during the recent holiday season as compared to 36 arrests resulting to 14 injured persons and one fatality for the same period in the previous year.
Of the 21 arrested for illegal discharge of firearms, three arrests each were made by PNP Regional Office (PRO) 10 and the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). There were also two arrests each in PRO 4A, PRO 5, PRO 11, and PRO Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR). The remaining seven regions recorded one arrest each for illegal discharge of firearms.
According to the PNP, incidents are categorized under stray bullet incidents when the suspects are unknown and the bullets hit rooftops or come from an unknown source or direction, while illegal discharge of firearms incidents are when the suspects who committed such malfeasance have been identified and arrested.
Año also commended the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for its strict inspection of firecracker manufacturers and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for keeping a close watch on the country’s city, district and municipal jails which resulted in zero-escape during the holiday season.
The DILG Secretary also praised the vigilant efforts of some local government units (LGUs) in working closely with the PNP and BFP in conducting an information drive on illegal firecrackers. (Chito Chavez)
