Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Monday ordered police officers in areas affected by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ to remain on heightened alert and intensify preemptive evacuation efforts in flood- and landslide-prone communities.
In a statement, the PNP chief instructed local police units to remain ready for search, rescue, retrieval, and evacuation operations, as well as closely monitor weather conditions and coordinate with local government units and other response agencies.
‘I have directed our police units in affected areas to remain on heightened alert, closely monitor developments and coordinate with local government units and other response agencies. They must be ready to immediately conduct search and rescue, retrieval and evacuation operations when needed, while ensuring the safety of our personnel,’ Nartatez said.
He also added local police units must help authorities move residents out of danger before conditions worsen.
‘Our local police units must actively assist local governments in preemptive evacuations, particularly in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides. We must act early, provide timely warnings and help prevent loss of life rather than wait for the situation to worsen,’ the PNP chief said.
Prior to this, the PNP has already activated its Subcommittee on Natural Disaster under the Directorate for Police Community Relations to monitor the situation through the PNP Command Center.
Around 800 PNP personnel had been deployed in affected regions while around 10,000 reserve personnel were also on standby for possible search and rescue and retrieval operations
As this developed, the PNP said deaths that could be attributed to the adverse weather conditions now went up to 15.
PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said a total of six people were also reported missing while 13 were injured due to different incidents that include landslides, flashflood, and electrocution.
‘All of these are still to be validated by the Office of Civil Defense but these are the reports that we obtained from our personnel on the ground,’ he added.
In Ilocos Region, one person was reported to have been electrocuted in La Union while another one drowned in Alaminos, Pangasinan.
In Cordillera Administrative Region, six people died due to two separate incidents of landslides-two of them died in La Trinidad, Benguet last week while four more died in Baguio City on Sunday night.
In Calabarzon, seven people were reported fatalities- three of them from Batangas due to drowning, electrocution and landslide; two due to landslides in Rodriguez, Rizal; one in Binangonan, Rizal due to drowning; and another one in Antipolo City who was hit by an uprooted tree.