Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered on Tuesday, March 3, a review and assessment on the use of police mobility assets as part of fuel conservation measures in anticipation of the continuous rise of petroleum products amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

The price of petroleum products has been consistently on the rise—the recent was the more than P1 increase per liter of gasoline and diesel this week— and experts warn that it will continuously shoot up due to the uncertainty of the security situation in the Middle East.

While the effects of the series of oil price hikes in the past weeks are still manageable, Nartatez said it would be better to prepare for any eventuality.

“We need to prepare and plan for this scenario without sacrificing our mandate to be more visible, more responsive and more reliable in terms of ensuring the safety of the people in every street and in every community,” said Nartatez.

He said peace and order remains a priority to sustain the 25 percentdecline in focus crimes for the first two months of this year.

For Nartatez, this is the part when the essence of the Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) would come into play in terms of maximizing the deployment of personnel and resources while still attaining the peace and order and law enforcement objectives.

EMPO focuses on data-driven, and fast and precise police responses as part of the efforts to boost competency and improve coordination among police units. The decline in crime volume and successful results of operations were attributed to its strict implementation down to the lowest police units.

Nartatez said chiefs of police and heads of support units are expected to conduct the review under the guidance of the Directorate for Operations and other concerned offices and commanders at the National and Regional Headquarters.

“This is part of our operational readiness in response to the President’s order. But we assure the public that we remain focused on our mandate of maintaining peace and order and implementing crime prevention measures,” Nartatez said.

In a separate statement, the PNP said it has long institutionalized prudent energy use across all its units as part of responsible resource management and operational discipline.

“In light of current developments, these existing measures will be further sustained and optimized to contribute to broader national efforts aimed at maintaining economic stability,” it said.

It added that police offices nationwide will continue implementing established energy-saving practices, including rationalized deployment of personnel and vehicles, reduced non-essential travel, vehicle pooling when practicable, and improved operational planning — all without compromising public safety and service delivery.

“The PNP remains committed to supporting whole-of-government initiatives that protect both public welfare and economic resilience. Through disciplined and efficient resource management, the organization will continue to do its part in ensuring stability while delivering responsive and reliable police service,” the statement read.