PNP in Luzon, Visayas placed on full alert status for holiday season

Police forces in Luzon and the Visayas were placed under the highest security alert status in order to maximize the security plan for the holiday season.

Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the full alert status, which means all dayoffs and leaves are cancelled to ensure availability of policemen, will be effective at 6 a.m. on Sunday until January 5 next year.

"We do not really anticipate major peace and order issues during the Yuletide Season, but we are deploying more policemen in the field as a crime prevention measure," said Gamboa in a statement issued on

Saturday.

At least 70,000 policemen are set to be mobilized for the implementation of the PNP Command Memorandum Circular “Paskuhan” 2019, the PNP’s Holiday Season security plan.

The policemen will be backed by 157,264 force multipliers for law enforcement and public safety operations to implement the PNP Enhanced Managing Police Operations (E-MPO) Strategy to address safety and security issues and concerns.

Among the focused areas for deployment are community firecracker and display zones, assistance hubs, places of worship, commercial centers, road safety points, sea ports, train stations, and airports.

Other units will be deployed for anti-criminality operations, anti-motorcycle-riding suspects, and reactionary standby support force.

“I have already ordered police commanders to step up police visibility and preventive patrol operations to ensure safety and security of churchgoers attending the traditional Simbang Gabi (Midnight Mass) that starts on Monday,” said Gamboa.

“All police regional directors were also instructed to beef-up night shift personnel and redirect mobile and foot patrol operations to maximize police visibility around churches where parishioners gather to attend the traditional nine-day dawn masses or Misa de Gallo ushering Christmas Day,” he added.

The crime prevention goal is aimed at denying criminals like those engaged in robbery, theft, burglary of unattended residences, mugging, swindling and street gang violence any opportunity to strike and prey on churchgoers.

“Local police units were instructed to coordinate closely with barangay authorities to muster support from village watchmen, citizen volunteers and other force multipliers to be on the lookout for violators of the ban on dangerous and illegal firecrackers,” said Gamboa.

Mindanao was not included in the 21-day full alert status since the area has been under martial law since May 2017.