Metro Manila police on full alert for ‘Ruby’

MANILA, Philippines–Starting 5 p.m. Friday, Metro Manila police will be on full alert after regional police units raised their alert status in anticipation of Typhoon “Ruby” (international name: Hagupit).

As per the orders of Director Carmelo Valmoria‎, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, a hundred-percent deployment of the 18,000-strong ‎Metro Manila police force will be enforced.

When the police are on full alert status, police visibility is increased and security is tightened in public places, particularly at malls, seaports, airports and bus terminals.

A full alert status means leaves of all policemen on duty are cancelled.

In a memorandum issued Friday, Valmoria reminded all unit and station commanders to secure all PNP headquarters and offices, vital installation, economic key points and places of convergence.

“Ensure that public safety services are in place, thoroughly supervised and that target hardening measures are instituted,” Valmoria said in the memo.

The full ‎alert status will extend until after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (Apec Isom) on December 8 to 9 in Makati City.

The event was set to be held in Legazpi City, Albay province, but it was moved due to Ruby. The typhoon is expected to hit Visayas and some parts of Mindanao.

Earlier at 6 a.m., eight police regional units in areas where the typhoon will make landfall went on full alert in preparation for the weather disturbance.

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