By Gabriela Baron
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will deploy over 74,000 personnel for the upcoming Holy Week to ensure the safety and security of the public.
PNP Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said they will deploy a total of 74,114 police officers during the simultaneous Christian and Muslim religious observations of Holy Week and Ramadan, respectively.
The religious observance of Holy Week will be ushered by the celebration of Palm Sunday on April 2, culminating on Easter Sunday on April 9.
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, meanwhile, started on March 23 and will culminate with the celebration of Eid’l Fitr in the 3rd week of April.
Based on the data provided by the PNP-Directorate for Operations, a total of 38,387 officers will be deployed for enhanced police presence through mobile and foot/beat patrol.
Meanwhile, an additional 39,504 officers will be deployed for specific areas of convergence such as major thoroughfares, transportation hubs, terminals, commercial areas, and places of worship.
The National Capital Region Police Office will have the highest number of deployments, with a total of 9,585 police officers.
Other regions with increased deployment include PRO 1 with 5,304 officers, PRO 4A with 6,496 officers, and PRO 5 with 5,594 officers. Meanwhile, the Aviation Security Group will deploy 1,606 officers, while the Highway Patrol Group and Maritime Group will deploy 1,874 and 297 officers, respectively.
“The deployment of our police officers is aimed to provide maximum security coverage to the public who will take part in the various religious activities,” Azurin said.
“As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage everyone to observe safety protocols and cooperate with our law enforcement agencies to ensure a peaceful and safe Holy Week for all,” he added.
