Augmentation force to ensure order: More cops deployed in Negros

CEBU, Philippines — The Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 has sent a hundred policemen to Canlaon City to help maintain peace and order in the area after the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon Monday evening.

This, as Acting Mayor Alvin Garcia yesterday said he ordered the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to deploy a team in Canlaon City to assess how the city can extend assistance and to also recommend the giving out of financial aid.

“To give us a recommendation whether we should send more teams over. But I also told him (Alcontin) maybe he could give us a recommendation for us to give financial assistance to those municipalities and cities that are affected,” he told a press conference.

He said that if the city would extend financial assistance, it would need City Council approval.

“And I will defer to their (city councilors) wisdom kung angay ba hatagan or dili,” the acting mayor said.

Following Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption Monday evening, there were residents of Canlaon City who were evacuated for their safety.

According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare of PRO-7 said they have sent additional policemen to assist in the evacuation and rescue operations as well as secure the evacuation centers.

PBGen Anthony A. Aberin, PRO-7 director, said he directed the unit commanders to ensure that their Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR)-trained personnel are on standby for immediate deployment.

As of press time, PRO-7 has not recorded any casualties in Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption, which affected five barangays, especially because of the resulting ashfall, but all roads and bridges still remain accessible.

Mt. Kanlaon, as of the moment, is already calm, although the ashfall continues.

Pelare said that PRO-7 will support the actions of the affected Local Government Units for the safety of the people.

The other day, Canlaon City already declared a state of calamity, with the national government already deploying its resources to assist the affected families. —/RHM (FREEMAN)