The Philippine National Police (PNP) will not seal muzzles of its personnel's service firearms during the Yuletide season for the second straight year.

PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Saturday they believe that policemen are more disciplined now.

The PNP's gun muzzling policy was to prevent police officers from indiscriminately firing their firearms during Christmas and New Year celebrities.

Fajardo maintained police officers are aware they would be dismissed from the PNP should they do so.

Nearly 40,000 PNP personnel were deployed for the holidays, securing churches during the Simbang Gabi or dawn masses, transportation hubs, major roads, seaports, airports, commercial establishments, vital installations and other places of convergence.

The PNP went on heightened alert on Dec. 15, which means that 75 percent of the 232,000-strong police force are available for deployment.

Fajardo said this alert level would last until the procession of the Black Nazarene or Traslacion in Manila on Jan. 9. DMS