Security in Eastern Samar intensified following strong quake

MANILA, Philippines — To maximize disaster response in Eastern Samar following the occurrence of a magnitude-6 earthquake on Monday, police intensified visibility and security operations in the province.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said yesterday that the Eastern Visayas police deployed officers to assist quake-affected communities, secure communities and maintain public order.

The officers are working with local disaster response teams to ensure that people are safe during relief and recovery operations.

Nartatez ordered Eastern Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy to assess the operational readiness of local police units including facilities that might have sustained damage from the quake.

In areas where communication lines are down, Nartatez said backup communication systems should be made available to ensure that police services remain uninterrupted.

He urged people to remain calm when seeing police officers, who will continue to patrol communities until the situation returns to normal.