SAF FORMATION Members of the Special Action Force (SAF) attend February’s mass oath-taking of 753 troopers who were promoted after battling terrorists in Marawi City last year. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
CEBU CITY — The 300 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) that will be deployed to Negros Oriental will conduct patrol and checkpoint operations there after a series of killings in that province left 17 people dead in just a span of one week.
PNP Central Visayas director Brigadier General Debold Sinas said the public has nothing to fear with the deployment of more policemen in Negros Oriental.
“We always give an assurance to the public. The presence of additional PNP personnel is not a threat. It’s additional security for the area,” he said.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday ordered the positioning of at least 300 PNP-SAF personnel in Negros Oriental as augmentation force in the wake of the killings.
“I’m just happy that chief PNP heeded our request to augment our police personnel in Negros,” Sinas said in a press conference in Cebu City on Tuesday.
“And hopefully, this will prevent more incidents perpetrated by bandits or lawless elements,” he added.
Sinas said he directed all chiefs of police in Negros Oriental to convene and brief the local government units about the peace and order situation in their respective localities.
“There are (a lot of) fake news saying the island is not safe. I directed the chiefs of police to brief the mayors about the real situation. I want to tell them that we are coping with our investigations,” he said. /kga