Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt.. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered local police units to coordinate with concerned agencies in the conduct of search and rescue missions for all the missing persons as a result of the series of weather disturbances that hit the country last week.
He also said that he understands what it feels to have missing relatives and family members and emphasized the need to show them that the national government, including the PNP, will exhaust all the measures to locate their kin.
‘I have already ordered our territorial forces to assist in the operations to locate those in the missing list,’ Nartatez said.
Based on the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) situational report, 12 of the missing persons were in Eastern Visayas, two in Oriental Mindoro, and one each in Bicol Region and Western Visayas.
Meanwhile, Nartatez said the PNP remains in full coordination with the NDRRMC and local government units in relation to the post-disaster response in Masbate, the Mindoro provinces and other areas severely affected by ‘Opong.’
He said the coordination includes deployment of personnel and PNP resources needed in relief distribution and rehabilitation programs of affected areas.