By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday activated its search and rescue teams, as well as other law and order teams, for possible deployment and augmentation to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 due to the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck Luzon on Monday.
In a memorandum signed by PNP Director for Operations, Major Gen. Ma. O Aplasca, the National Capital Region Police Office, Police Regional Office 1, PNP Special Action Force, Maritime Group, and Crime Laboratoty were ordered to get ready for search and rescue operations in the quake-hit town of Porac in Pampanga.
Aplasca said this is the response of the PNP to sustain retrieval operations in Porac, which was hit hard by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, PRO 3 Regional Director, Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel, noted that fewer crimes were also recorded, citing total crime volume has dropped by nearly 37 percent a day after the temblor shook Central Luzon.
“We continue our search and rescue efforts as we might still have chances of finding survivors and ensure the safety of every one at the same time we still have deployed personnel in the area to thwart criminal elements especially looters and profiteers who may take advantage of the situation,” Coronel said.
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