Negros Occidental strengthens security before P-Noy Games opening

Bacolod City Police chief Senior Supt. Ricardo Dela Paz has strengthened its anti-criminality drive two weeks before the opening of Philippine National Games on May 22. Dela Paz said he will head the task force in securing all participating athletes and managing the traffic outside the games venue from May 22 to 29. De la Paz said they will ask the Public Safety Company to augment their personnel, and ordered the Bacolod City police intelligence group to intensify their monitoring against those who may take advantage of the occasion. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, according to the Visayan Daily Star, will head a special committee for the conduct of the national games in the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago. Negros Occidental provincial police Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan will be in charge of the secutiry of the athletes and spectators in the sports venues outside Bacolod City and at the Panaad Park and Stadium. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Jose Luis Gomez said they are expecting 7,800 athletes and about 1,000 officials to join the event. Badminton, beach volleyball, billiards, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, judo, karatedo, lawn tennis, motorcycle sports, sailing, soft tennis, swimming, taekwondo, volleyball, wall climbing, weightlifting, wind surfing and wrestling will be played in Bacolod City. Bago City will host kayak, dragon boat, muay thai and wushu events; Road cycling, futsal, football, penkak silat, softball and table tennis will be held at Talisay City; while archery, arnis, sepak takraw and triathlon will be played at Silay City. A 42-K run from Victorias City to Bacolod will be held to open the national games on May 22. – JVP, GMA News