PNP on 21-day full alert during holiday season

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is on a 21-day nationwide full alert status for the Yuletide season.

Officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa issued PNP Command Memorandum Circular Paskuhan 2019 that orders maximized police visibility and preventive patrol operations to ensure public safety during the holidays.

He has placed all units in Luzon and the Visayas on full alert effective 6 a.m. yesterday, until the end of the holiday season on Jan. 5, 2020.

More than 69,000 PNP personnel and 157,000 force multipliers will be mobilized for law enforcement and public safety operations during the season.

“We do not really anticipate major peace and order issues during the Yuletide season, but we are deploying more policemen in the field as a crime prevention measure,” Gamboa said in a statement.

He directed all police regional directors to beef up shift personnel to foot patrol operations, especially during the traditional nine-day dawn masses or Simbang Gabi that ushers in the Christmas season.

Police units will also be deployed for anti-criminality operations and as a reactionary standby support force on the lookout for criminals engaged in common street crimes such as robbery, mugging and street gang violence. 

The memo will mobilize troops to cover important convergence areas such as community firecracker zones, places of worship, commercial centers and different ports.

Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said they are expecting a high volume of passengers during the Christmas rush, but added that they are always prepared to assist passengers.

“Hopefully, there is no congestion, but we are expecting higher volume of passengers as is expected during the Christmas season yearly,” Santiago said.

Santiago said the PPA will be on heightened alert during the Christmas rush as they start activating the Malasakit Help Desks in all of the port areas in the country to assist passengers.

He added that a “no day off, no absent” policy will be implemented on all personnel involved in port operations.

As Santiago expects heavy maritime traffic, he urged the public to book their trips early and avoid the Christmas rush so that they will not be inconvenienced by passenger congestion.

“Make sure also that their (bookings) are finalized and try to avoid going to the terminals as chance passengers,” Santiago added.

He also called on passengers to refrain from bringing prohibited items inside the terminals, as authorities will confiscate them. – With Robertzon Ramirez