INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from the usual uniformed policemen, the Philippine National Police started deploying plainclothes cops on Thursday in a bid to curb the usual uptick in crimes during the Christmas season.
In a radio interview on Friday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said this was to ensure that there would be no heightened criminal activities, such as pickpockets or robberies, that could victimize the people who would be busy for the Christmas shopping rush.
According to Fajardo, the number of small crimes historically goes up during the holidays. She said that the number of people going out has “tripled” compared to the Yuletide season last year, given more relaxed pandemic policies allowing for more mobility.
According to Fajardo, a total of 6,000 tourist-oriented personnel are to be deployed in areas where they expect bigger crowds as Christmas and New Year are just around the corner.
“These 6,000 tourist-trained police forces are deployed this early so that our countrymen will feel more secure and they will be able to enjoy this holiday season,” she said.
No Christmas leave
Police personnel are not allowed to go on leave for the Christmas season as part of heightened security measures and Fajardo said all applications for leave from Dec. 15 to Jan. 10 next year are canceled as ordered by PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
She also reminded the public anew to be careful against fake money during the Christmas shopping rush and encouraged the public to turn counterfeit bills to banks or file complaints against persons or establishments that disbursed fake peso bills.
Despite the drop of crimes in Metro Manila since September, around 14,000 police officers will still be deployed on the streets to ensure a peaceful and orderly holiday season.
According to Lt. Col. Dexter Versola, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office, the added police deployment will be to secure people in different places of convergence, especially near churches for the traditional novena masses, locally called “simbang gabi” (night mass), that are traditionally held at dawn from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24.