PNP mobilizes equipment for quake response in Northern Luzon
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has started mobilizing its equipment that will be sent to quake-hit areas in Northern Luzon.
Police Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, PNP director for Operations, said the equipment will be deployed along with the PNP personnel which were mobilized for deployment in various areas in Northern Luzon.
PNP officer-in-charge Police Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao earlier ordered all police commanders to send police teams and mobilize standby forces for deployment in areas where police assistance is requested.
"The order of our PNP OIC to mobilize our personnel for disaster response efforts should come with the mobilization and deployment of all the available equipment of the PNP that can be used in rescue and relief efforts, as well as road-clearing operations," said De Leon.
While several roads were already cleared by the quick reaction teams of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), De Leon said there are still roads that need immediate clearing not only for the access of motorists but also for the relief items from the national government.
De Leon said post-earthquake road-clearing operations as a result of landslides require manpower and more equipment to expedite the process.
Based on the PNP reports, especially in the Cordillera Administrative Region, large boulders and rocks were among those that blocked roads in the region.
De Leon said police commanders were also tasked with coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) in order to determine where the PNP assistance was needed.
"The damage brought by this strong earthquake now requires the Filipino bayanihan for easy and fast accomplishment of our goal of assisting our kababayan in distress," said De Leon.