Police in Metro Manila will be on full alert status starting this morning as part of the move to maximize the security for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said police in other areas are on heightened alert status.
But Marquez gave police provincial and regional directors the authority to upgrade to full alert status depending on the situation in their localities.
“Heightened alert status will be declared towards the end of the week and probably unit commanders are given flexibility to elevate further the alert level if the situation in their respective areas of concern are to demand,” said Marquez.
Chief Insp. Kimberly Molitas, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office, said they expect all their commanders, from the precinct level to district directors, to start implementing strategies to ensure public safety especially to those who would go the cemeteries and their respective provinces.
“All our personnel will be on duty, all our dayoffs and leaves are cancelled. This is to ensure that we are all focused in our task of maintaining peace and order for “Undas,” said Molitas.
Police, according to Molitas, will be deployed in bus terminals, seaports and airports, cemeteries, church, and other usual places of convergence that include malls and other commercial centers.
Marquez said they are banking on police preparations in the past in terms of the strategic deployment of policemen for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
“We have a template on police presence at bus terminal, airports and seaports, assistance desk at cemeteries. With the declaration of the heightened or full alert status, there will be more people to be deployed and they will be more focused,” said Marquez.
Molitas said the full alert status in Metro Manila will take effect at 6 a.m. and end until the NCRPO leadership lifts it. Marquez, on the other hand, said they expect the alert status to be lifted Tuesday next week.
“Normally, around heightened alert takes effect of October 29 until November 3 when people started to go back to their respective places we should be able to provide the outmost safety and traffic assistance,” Marquez said.