No soldier fired gun during New Year revelry – AFP

MANILA, Philippines – No one among the troops fired their guns to welcome the New Year, the military declared yesterday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said the latest monitoring reports showed not a single soldier was apprehended for violating guidelines barring servicemen from firing guns while celebrating New Year.

“So far, there’s no reported violation of the specific instructions, that strictly prohibits the troops from engaging in the illegal discharge of their issued firearms,” Detoyato said.

Even the troops engaged in internal security operations, particularly those deployed in Mindanao, have not fired their guns, he said.

While the Philippine National Police (PNP), a yearly basis, has been putting masking tape on the barrels of firearms issued to its personnel, the AFP issued a nationwide stern directive for the troops not to engage in indiscriminate firing while celebrating Christmas and New Year.

Violators can face dismissal from the service.

Stray bullet incidents have been one of the causes of unnecessary deaths of New Year’s revelers in the past, with some soldiers and policemen accused of indiscriminately firing their guns.