Acting PNP Chief Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. (File photo: Office of the Chief PNP)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be expanding its security coverage for the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2 from cemeteries and transport hubs to cyberspace.
Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. said police cyber units will operate in tandem with regional monitoring hubs to watch over social-media chatter and digital incident reports that could indicate emerging threats or misinformation.
“Security today is no longer confined to physical spaces. We are also monitoring digital spaces where misinformation or scams can spread quickly, especially when millions of Filipinos are travelling and staying connected through their phones,” Nartatez said.
“Technology gives us an added layer of situational awareness. It helps us deploy personnel more efficiently and detect possible problems before they escalate,” he explained.
Nartatez tasked the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to flag fake advisories, phishing messages, or online scams pretending to offer travel assistance or cemetery services.
He said crowd behavior analytics drawn from CCTV networks, drone footage, and mobile app data will also help estimate real-time movement in transport terminals and major cemeteries.
So far, police have not monitored threats in anticipation of the Undas.
On the ground, around 25,300 police personnel and 22,000 force multipliers will be deployed nationwide to ensure the safety and security of the public. Assistance desks, patrol teams, and traffic management units will also be stationed in cemeteries, bus terminals, seaports, and airports.