• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino said Sept. 23 that he is opposed to the gun ban proposed by the Bacolod City Police Office during the MassKara Festival next month.
Espino said a traditional gun ban unduly restricts law-abiding citizens while failing to deter criminals. “In a gun ban, you are only banning legal gun owners. For me, every day should be a gun ban against illegal firearms.”
He stressed the need to strictly enforce the law on illegal firearm holders every day, rather than restrict legal gun owners during festivities.
Taking away the capacity of legal gun owners, who have gone through the proper process to secure a License to Possess Firearms and a Permit to Carry Outside of Residence, does not actually enhance security, Espino said. “I cannot support it simply because of the logic behind it.”
He said there was no gun ban during the MassKara Festival last year.
While Espino opposed the firearm restrictions, he voiced support for signal jamming during highlights activities of the MassKara Festival as a security measure, citing risks that mobile devices could be utilized to trigger explosive devices.
“There is a valid ground for it (signal jamming) because it can be used for that purpose,” he noted.
BCPO deputy director for Administration, P/Lt. Col. Lester Leada, earlier said they requested a gun ban from Oct. 1-18, and signal jamming during the festival highlights, but the city has the final say. | TMD
