By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/Philippine News Agency.
MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has downgraded its alert status from full to normal alert nationwide, except in Mindanao which is under martial law.
PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde said regional directors of Police Regional Offices (PRO) 1 to 8, Cordillera, and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) are given the discretion to raise the alert level if deemed necessary and based on the prevailing threat situation.
“Our police force will continue to be aggressive and intelligence-driven against criminal gangs, terrorists, and lawless elements as we intensify our focused police operations to address threats and violence,” Albayalde said in a statement on Tuesday.
At the same time, the country’s top cop said the PNP will field a total of 120,000 personnel in accordance with the security and safety plans for the opening of classes on June 3.
Albayalde said the PNP’s guidelines for ‘Ligtas Balik-Eskwela 2019’ is to ensure the operational readiness of police units in responding to peace and order concerns including threats from criminal elements that may take advantage of the situation.
“Along these efforts, we set our plans with enough number of police force to be deployed to launch mobile and foot patrols along major routes and highways for the 2019 Balik Eskwela leading to all schools and other learning institutions,” Albayalde said.
He said the PNP will establish Police Assistance Desks (PADs) in all school campuses and other learning institutions nationwide in coordination with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, school authorities, local government units, and barangay force multipliers.
Albayalde assured the public that the PNP is committed to provide security coverage for public safety services and institute various crime prevention operations, focusing on the Enhanced Managing Police Operations Strategy to maintain peace and order within and around the vicinity of schools.
Upon invitations by school authorities, he said the PNP may conduct inspections of dormitories and schools.
Other police efforts are establishing task units to address bullying in schools, intelligence and information gathering against kidnappings in schools, presence of improvised explosive devices, and other efforts against threats as feared by the public.
He said around 29 million students across the country in various grade levels are expected to troop to schools for simultaneous opening of classes in both public and private learning institutions.
He said policemen are also instructed to conduct foot and mobile patrolling in the vicinity of schools and would be on the lookout for drug traffickers, muggers, and violent street gangs that may infiltrate the ranks of students.
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