PNP ‘sorry’ for presence of cops inside classroom in Alaminos City school

DAGUPAN CITY — The Police Regional Office in the Ilocos region on Tuesday (Nov. 16) apologized to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the “apparent overreaction by members” of Alaminos City police during the pilot test of in-person classes at the Longos Elementary School on Monday.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta, police regional director, said “the police units only had pure good intention in acting on the request of school officials” to deploy police officers in the school.

“It is just unfortunate that some persons may have felt intimidated by the presence of security personnel. The organization shall always act according to its mandate of promoting nation building among stakeholders,” he said.

He added that an investigation is underway to determine the possible lapses in the said security deployment.

“Moreover, a memorandum was already issued to all chiefs of police and mobile force commanders within Region 1 to remind them of the guidelines and protocol under DepEd’s National Framework on Learners and Schools,” Peralta added.

In his report to PNP chief Police Gen. Dionardo Carlos, Peralta said police personnel were deployed to the Longos Central Elementary School in Barangay Pangapisan upon the request of school officials in time for the first day of the pilot testing of face-to-face classes to ensure that minimum public health standards are followed.

Maj. Reinwexk Alamay, officer-in-charge of Alaminos City Police Station, promptly acted on the request by sending a police team composed of personnel from Alaminos Police Station, with augmentation from the 1st Pangasinan Provincial Mobile Force Company and EOD-K9 to provide police assistance and security.

Photos taken by media reporters present during the activity showed a police officer with a long firearm, looking at the school papers of a student.