By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Christmas celebration in the province of Antique has been generally peaceful with no crime-related incident reported since midnight Monday (Christmas Eve) until Tuesday (Christmas Day).
Supt. Norby Escobar, Antique Provincial Police Office Deputy Director for Operations, said the police has been on full alert and has installed a checkpoint for border control in Hamtic, the first town of Antique from Iloilo province.
Escobar said so far, they have not received any report from their 18 municipal police stations on injuries from stray bullets or any other incident related to the Christmas celebration.
“The police did not have the muzzle taping of their firearms,” he added. This is already the third year for the police hierarchy not to order the muzzle taping during Christmas, giving policemen on the ground the credit of being responsible individuals who will not commit indiscriminate firing.
“We only reminded the police personnel days ahead to stay sober and not to commit indiscriminate firing,” Escobar said.
He said that indiscriminate firing of their service pistols could lead to dismissal from service, thus, the police personnel really need to think twice before committing such reckless action as they are already receiving big salaries.
Meanwhile, Escobar said that they are instructing the police in Antique to be on guard, especially because December 26 is the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“The police personnel should have to remain vigilant in their respective police stations,” he said.
Escobar said the CPP-NPA might retaliate after the encounter with the government troops in Barangay Atabay in San Jose de Buenavista last August 15, where seven of their members died.
“The NPAs have not yet retaliated (over) the death of their members and might target the Antique Provincial Police Office during their anniversary,” he said.
Escobar added that soldiers are securing communication installations and other vital buildings, especially in the hinterlands of Antique, which could not be covered by the police.
