PNP orders safety measures for cops amid toxic smoke from Navotas fire

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered safety measures for units affected by toxic smoke brought by the lingering haze at the Navotas City sanitary landfill facility.

“Our chiefs of police and unit commanders in the affected areas were already instructed to implement measures to ensure the safety and protection of our personnel on the ground,” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Monday.

“Among the safety measures are the use of protection gears and adjustments in police deployment in the affected areas,” he noted.

READ: DOH: Haze from Navotas landfill fire may pose health risks to NCR

The top cop instructed the affected units to monitor their personnel’s physical conditions and provide “reasonable” breaks from duty amid the poor air quality and the extreme heat from the hot, dry season.

He added that the police were also directed to assist the affected communities by distributing face masks.

Last week, the Department of Health warned that the lingering haze may cause a range of health effects such as difficulty in breathing, coughing, chest pain, eye irritation and worsening of respiratory conditions like asthma and other lung diseases.

The Navotas landfill fire broke out last April 10 and was declared under control last week but has yet to be fully extinguished.

The Bureau of Fire Protection previously said the blaze began somewhere in the middle of the landfill, but investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire. /jpv