PNP to remain vigilant in NCR amid Alert Level 2, holidays

PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. File photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will sustain its enhanced visibility in public areas within Metro Manila as part of its continuous crime prevention measures amid the downgrading of quarantine restrictions and the upcoming holiday season.

In a statement on Monday, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) would continue patrolling around areas of convergence like malls to prevent any untoward incident.

Eleazar said that this was after they observed an increase in the number of people going to malls and other public spaces after Metro Manila was placed under Alert Level 2 last Friday.

“Bagama’t nakatutok pa rin ang ating NCRPO personnel sa pagpapatupad ng minimum public health standards, mas magiging focus ngayon ng ating kapulisan ang crime prevention lalo na sa mga lugar na karaniwang dinarayo ng ating mga kababayan. Partikular dito ang mga malls na nakatakdang magpalawig ng kanilang hours of operation,” Eleazar said.

(While our NCRPO personnel are still enforcing minimum public health standards, the police force focuses more on crime prevention, especially in areas frequented by the public. Mainly, these include malls which are set to place longer operation hours.)

“Inaasahan natin na habang papalapit ang Kapaskuhan at mas maraming tao ang nasa labas ay mas magiging aktibo ang masasamang loob. Thus, the NCRPO is currently beefing up police visibility in all areas of convergence and ramping up patrols to deprive criminals of the opportunity to strike,” he added.

(We expect that more people would go out as the Christmas season approaches, which may lead criminal minds to be more active.)

Eleazar has already directed police commanders to coordinate with local government units and mall management to discuss security measures, especially with the Christmas rush to malls and shopping areas.

But despite the shift from monitoring of health protocols to crime prevention, the outgoing PNP chief still appealed to the public to continue observing safety measures like wearing face masks and following physical distancing to avoid possible COVID-19 outbreaks.

“Ang simpleng pagsunod natin sa minimum public health standards, ang pagsusuot ng face mask at pagtiyak sa physical distancing, ay malaking tulong na para maiwasan ang muling pagdami ng mga kaso ng COVID-19,” Eleazar said.

(The simple act of observing minimum public health standards, wearing face masks, and ensuring that physical distancing is followed are already a huge help in avoiding another increase in COVID-19 cases.)

Over the weekend, netizens on social media took notice of the busier roads and the high number of children in public areas like malls, parks, and other places of leisure in Metro Manila, after the national government placed the National Capital Region under Alert Level 2.

The decision from the national government came as cases steadily went down after the Delta variant-led surge in August and September.

However, authorities, especially from the Department of Health, have warned against being too relaxed, as the pandemic’s threat and other variants — like the Delta subvariant — are still present.

READ: Children now allowed out under Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila

READ: Complacency under alert level 2 worries DOH