Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, June 21, that the police should arrest and file charges against the suspects in the spate of shooting incidents in Bacolod City to teach the culprits that they cannot get away with such crimes.
Lacson and mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez met with the top police officials of Bacolod and Negros Occidental on Monday, following nine successive shooting incidents in the city this month.
Present at the meeting was Bacolod police director, Col. Thomas Joseph Martir, and Negros Occidental police director, Col. Leo Pamittan.
“We manifested our concern. What is important is if somebody gets shot, the police should identify the suspects and make actual arrests,” Lacson said.
Lacson said it has to be that way to assure the public that the situation is not getting out of control.
“Somehow it will also alert these notorious individuals that it is not easy to just carry out an execution and get away with it, that’s the message that we have to send,” he said.
Pamittan assured that the shooting incidents have not spread to the province, Lacson said.
“I just told him let’s continue to be vigilant and if there is a way that we can help the situation in Bacolod, to do so,” he added.*