Central Visayas cops tapped for typhoon relief efforts in Bicol

PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan  (PNP Facebook live Screenshot)

MANILA, Philippines — The Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visayas) has been instructed to help the Police Regional Office 5 (Bicol Region) provide response efforts for communities affected by the onslaught of Super Typhoon Rolly.

PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan on Monday said that aside from the Central Visayas police to be deployed in Bicol Region, members of the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) of the PNP are also on standby at Camp Crame for possible augmentation in areas affected by Rolly, which earlier reached the super typhoon category and was declared the world’s strongest storm so far for this year.

“’Yung RSSF natin, nandito lang muna. Ang Region 7 (police) inatasan na natin na pumunta ng Region 5 para tumulong at magbigay ng food assistance,” Cascolan said in an interview with reporters.

(The RSSF will just remain here. The Region 7 police has been instructed to proceed to the Bicol region and extend due assistance.)

Cascolan said that currently, the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region, Central Luzon and other regions ravaged by the super typhoon have enough police officers.

“For the meantime, let’s have Region 7 go there, assist them, give food,” he added.

“Ang kailangan kasi ng Region 5 ngayon ay pampa-high morale. Makakita lang sila ng mga tao na iba, at least maiangat natin ‘yung kanilang morale.”

(For the meantime, let’s have Region 7 go there in Bicol Region to assist them and give food. Personnel in Region 5 need something to boost their morale. If they see other people, maybe we can boost their morale.)

Brig. Gen. Albert Ignacius Ferro, Central Visayas police chief, in a text message to INQUIRER.net, said he is preparing 100 police officers to be deployed to the Bicol region “hopefully tomorrow.”

Cascolan said other PNP officials have likewise made rounds an assessed the situation in the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region, Bicol region, and Metro Manila.

The PNP is coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Armed Forces of the Philippines regarding the security of DSWD and other relief operations personnel  and other related initiatives.

Police officers living in areas earlier forecast to be affected by Rolly were earlier allowed to go back in their provinces, according to the PNP chief.

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