Police offer safety tip to people leaving for the holidays

PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome. Photo by Matikas Santos/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Inform neighbors as well as local barangay officials when leaving the house to go to the province for the holidays, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief urged local residents to ensure the safety of their homes.

Director General Nicanor Bartolome, PNP Chief, said on Tuesday that the partnership of the police with barangay officials will be a force multiplier to improve the security down to the local barangay level.

“[Residents] should always inform their neighbors when they will be leaving the house for a long time. We, as Filipinos, should always trust our neighbors because once we come back from the provinces, they will still be our neighbors,” Bartolome told reporters in an interview.

“Aside from their neighbors, [residents] should also inform their local barangay officials because they will be the ones patrolling the local area,” he added.

It was important for other people in the neighborhood to know where the residents are of a certain house so that in the event of any suspicious activity, it will immediately raise an alarm, Bartolome said.

“If neighbors don’t know that the residents of a house have left for the province, they will not be alarmed if they see activity inside. They will not suspect that there are already [criminals] inside,” Bartolome said.

“It pays to inform others in the community especially the barangay officials,” he added.

The PNP has already raised the full alert status ahead of the annual exodus of people who will visit cemeteries in the provinces. Police have also tightened security in all transportation hubs nationwide for the public’s safety.