Negros Oriental bolsters security amid upcoming events, polls

POLICE VISIBILITY. Police personnel stand guard at the Commission on Elections office in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental province on the last day of COC filing on Oct. 8, 2024. The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office is stepping up its security measures in the light of the upcoming Buglasan Festival and other events in the coming weeks. (PNA photo by Mary Judaline Flores Partlow)

DUMAGUETE CITY — The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) is increasing its visibility as many events are lined up towards the end of the year and the election season is picking up, an official said Thursday.

“We have increased the number of checkpoints from two to three times a day in every police station in the province as we also undertake other measures to ensure public safety in the coming weeks until December,”
NOPPO spokesperson Lt. Stephen Polinar said.

Polinar said a meeting on Friday with the provincial government and other law enforcement units would tackle the Buglasan Festival that starts on Oct. 18.

The Buglasan Festival is the province’s official socio-cultural and tourism celebration held every October to showcase the towns’ and cities’ cultures, heritage, and practices.

Malacañang has declared Oct. 25 a special non-working holiday for Negros Oriental to allow its constituents to enjoy the different activities and watch the Festival of Festivals grand showdown and street dancing competition.

Polinar said the security contingency plan also covers the observance of All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2; the Dumaguete City fiesta activities to celebrate the city’s charter day on Nov. 25 and its patron saint on Nov. 24; and the holiday season.

He said security measures would be revised occasionally to align with the different activities.

The NOPPO spokesperson added they were coordinating with the intelligence community against lawless elements concerning the May 2025 elections.

The police have also stepped up their campaign against loose firearms as part of their regular operations and to prevent election-related violence. (PNA)