PNP on alert for preemptive evacuation as heavy rains continue
Police forces in areas continuously being pounded by heavy rains were instructed to coordinate with local officials for the evacuation of residents in flood and landslide-prone areas.
Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said local police forces were also tasked to mobilize a sufficient number of personnel for other disaster responses like search and rescue and assistance distribution.
Based on the latest data from the Office of Civil Defense, a total of eight people were reported to have died, mostly due to drowning and landslides.
On the other hand, around 752,000 people from over 223,000 families were affected by the heavy rains, around 10,000 families composed of 34,400 people are staying in evacuation centers.
Around 800 PNP personnel had been deployed in affected regions while around 10,000 reserve personnel were also on standby for possible search and rescue and retrieval operations.
He said strong coordination with local government units must also be established for unified response and to maximize manpower for disaster response.
“Our police units in affected areas were directed to remain on heightened alert, closely monitor developments and coordinate with local government units and other response agencies. They must be ready to immediately conduct search and rescue, retrieval and evacuation operations when needed, while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Nartatez said.
Malacañang said President Marcos was closely monitoring flood-prone areas as well as rising water levels in dams and reservoirs amid the continuing rains.
Marcos has also directed concerned agencies to coordinate closely on water releases and take preventive measures as conditions develop.
In response, Nartatez said local police units must help authorities move residents out of danger before conditions worsen, “Our local police units must actively assist local governments in preemptive evacuations, particularly in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.”
“We must act early, provide timely warnings and help prevent loss of life rather than wait for the situation to worsen,” he added.
The PNP has already activated its Subcommittee on Natural Disaster under the Directorate for Police Community Relations to monitor the situation through the PNP Command Center.