Negros cops on alert for Pacquiao tiff

Bacolod City — The police in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will be on heightened alert today as Negrenses flock to different venues in the province and in the city to watch the match between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and American boxer Sugar Shane Mosley.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod city police director, said policemen would be deployed to the venues where the fight would be shown live to prevent any untoward incident.

He said they would boost police visibility in various areas in the city’s main thoroughfares and assign traffic enforcers and policemen on the streets near these venues to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, also ordered the police stations in the province to coordinate with the Philippine Army and guard all vital installations.

Residents were expected to flock to the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports Center in the downtown area for a free showing of the fight.

The fight will also be shown live at the gymnasiums of barangays Granada, Sum-ag, Banago, Handumanan, Tangub and Magsungay-Singcang in Bacolod.

Some hotels and malls will also show the fight live on Sunday.

Aside from the police, Bacolod City’s Bureau of Fire Protection and its substations would also be on heightened alert.

Chief Insp. Pamela Candido, Bacolod fire marshal, said BFP personnel will be deployed in areas where the fight would be shown to ensure there would be no overcrowding.

She said they would also inspect such venues to ensure that there are fire exits and that their fire fighting apparati are working.

/INQUIRER