PSS prepared to secure campuses

While concerned on the latest turn of events on the handgun issue, Education Commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan assured that they have a program to secure the schools in the CNMI.

The U.S. District Court for the CNMI ruled Tuesday that the Commonwealth’s law on handguns unconstitutional. The Legislature, in an emergency session, has also introduced a bill in order to regulate the possession of firearms.

Sablan said school campus safety has been among her concerns since becoming the PSS commissioner in 2008. “I’m always worried, about a lot of things, specially when it comes to school campus safety and orderliness.”

Sablan added that the PSS has policies and procedures that promote safety and they hold drills—earthquake, fire, tsunami evacuation—every year based on their emergency and logistics management operations program. “We follow these procedures on things that promote safety and welfare of the kids. We must do everything to ensure the safety of our students in school.”

She said that everyone should always be prepared to any possible situation with the recent District Court ruling and the bill that is pending at the Legislature on guns and gun control.

“We have to be prepared no matter what. It must be an everyday thing that we must be prepared for the safety and welfare of our children. We have to be ready, whatever it takes for us to do, we must be ready.”

Bulletproof vests for cops

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, in a separate interview after yesterday’s emergency session, said former senator Pete Reyes introduced a gun control bill that is currently in the Legislature when he was still the Senate president in 2014. He added that a draft bill has already been done.

Torres said stricter requirements like doing background checks and random tests would be implemented before issuing a license. “We just wanted to be prepared, now that is here. We are trying to be strict as much as we can, yet we won’t deny the right to bear arms.”

He added that although it would be an additional cost to the government, they are planning of providing bulletproof vests to all law enforcement agencies. “This has change the whole dynamic of our government, now we are looking at giving bulletproof vests.”

“We are also after for the safety of our law enforcement personnel as we look for more collaborative efforts within our community,” Torres added.