PNP to deploy over 70k cops for ‘Simbang Gabi’
MANILA, Philippines —In a statement, the PNP said a total of 70,744 police personnel, 6,892 auxiliary units, and 24,526 assets will be deployed to police stations, places of worship, main roads, transport terminals, malls, tourist destinations, and designated fireworks zones.
“We want everyone to enjoy the holidays without fear. Our officers will be visible in key areas, ready to respond quickly, and actively preventing incidents before they happen,” PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
Police visibility starting Monday night. Col. Julius Domingo, chief of the Public Safety Division of the PNP Directorate for Operations, said in a press briefing on Monday, Dec. 15, that police deployment would begin Monday evening ahead of the anticipated Simbang Gabi Masses.
“So we expect by 9 p.m., 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. meron na tayong mga mass sa mga churches and may mga deployment ng ating mga kapulisan sa mga Catholic churches nationwide,” Domingo said.
(We expect that by 9, 10, or 11 p.m., there will already be church services and a deployment of police officers at Catholic churches across the country.)
Breakdown of police deployment. Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of dawn Masses observed by Filipino Catholics from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 in anticipation of Christmas.
Domingo said 30,000 police officers will be assigned to police offices and fixed visibility points, while 12,695 will be deployed to places of worship.
Additional deployments include:
- 7,838 police officers on major thoroughfares
- 6,530 police officers in transportation hubs and terminals
The following personnel will be deployed to other areas:
- Commercial areas: 6,691
- Tourist destinations: 3,498
- Community fireworks displays: 1,764
- Firecracker zones: 1,728
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