ZAMBOANGA CITY – Over 1,000 policemen have been deployed to secure people in evacuation centers and cemeteries here this “Undas.”
Hundreds of people started trooping to cemeteries on Monday, Oct. 31, while thousands are still staying in evacuation centers after the destruction wrought by severe tropical storm ‘’Paeng’’ here last week.
Col. Alexander Lorenzo, acting police chief here, said 150 policemen were deployed in evacuation centers while 780 were fielded to public and private cemeteries on Monday.
Among those deployed were 250 lawmen serving as Reactionary Standby Support Force from the Police Regional Office-9.
Police have been working hard since Friday during search and rescue operations after 42 out of 98 barangays in this city were severely affected by Paeng.
Data from the local government said that at least 60,000 people were displaced by the storm and are staying in evacuation centers or with relatives.