Police forces in Luzon and the Visayas have been placed under the highest security alert status in order to maximize the security plan for the holiday season.
Police Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police, said the full alert status, which means all dayoffs and leaves are cancelled to ensure availability of policemen, will be effective at 6 a.m. today until Jan. 5.
“We do not really anticipate major peace and order issues during the Yuletide season, but, we are deploying more policemen in the field as a crime prevention measure,” said Gamboa.
At least 70,000 policemen are planned to be mobilized for the implementation of the PNP Command Memorandum Circular “Paskuhan” 2019, the PNP’s holiday season security plan.
The policemen will be backed by 157,264 force multipliers for law enforcement and public safety operations to implement the PNP Enhanced Managing Police Operations Strategy to address safety and security issues and concerns.
Among the focused areas for deployment are community firecracker and display zones, assistance hubs, places of worship, commercial centers, road safety points, seaports, train stations, and airports.
Other units will be deployed for anti-criminality operations, anti-motorcycle-riding suspects, and reactionary standby support force.
“I have already ordered police commanders to step up police visibility and preventive patrol operations to ensure safety and security of church-goers attending the traditional Simbang Gabi that starts on Monday,” said Gamboa.
“All police regional directors were also instructed to beef up night shift personnel and redirect mobile and foot patrol operations to maximize police visibility around churches where parishioners gather to attend the traditional nine-day dawn masses or Misa de Gallo ushering Christmas Day,” he added. (Aaron Recuenco)