MANILA – Acting Philippine National Police (PNP), chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Wednesday alerted police units in Southern Luzon as Tropical Depression Mirasol threatens to bring heavy rains, flooding, and possible landslides in vulnerable areas.
Nartatez said the order is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the safety of everybody and pursue a goal of zero casualty.
“I have already directed our police commanders in the affected areas to coordinate with their respective local government units and disaster response agencies for a unified effort to ensure public safety,” he said in a statement.
Nartatez said part of the police response is the prepositioning of police personnel and police equipment and mobility assets in identified high-risk provinces to ensure immediate response when necessary.
According to the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the low pressure area being monitored east of Quezon province has developed into Tropical Depression Mirasol. It is forecast to continue moving northwestward and will slightly decelerate as it approaches Isabela-Aurora area.
“From preemptive evacuation to search and rescue, your PNP will exert extra efforts to fulfill our goal to lessen the impact of ‘Tropical Depression Mirasol’ to the lives of our kababayan,” Nartatez said.
He also recognized that the safety of police personnel assigned to areas that would be on the path of Mirasol remains a priority.
“The welfare of our personnel is also a priority. Before deployment, they are given proper protective equipment. We have also directed commanders on the ground to strictly monitor the condition of their men and women, and to rotate deployments when necessary,” Nartatez said.
He added contingency measures, including medical teams and relief supplies for PNP personnel, are in place to ensure they can continue their duties without compromising their own safety.
Furthermore, Nartatez said the PNP is working in close coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), local government units, and other concerned agencies to ensure seamless deployment of resources and rapid assistance to affected residents.
Agusan del Sur landslide
Meanwhile, in line with the instruction of President Marcos to ensure readiness for the public's call for assistance, the PNP responded to a landslide incident in Agusan del Sur that left two people and four others missing.
Nartatez said he has already directed the Caraga police regional director to ensure the availability of needed personnel and equipment for the recovery of those who remain on the list of missing individuals after the landslide in Purok 1, Barangay Mahayahay in the municipality of San Luis on Sept. 14.
The landslide site is around 30 kilometers away from the police station and without communication signal.
“We are closely monitoring the progress of the search and rescue. My instruction is to deploy more personnel and equipment to expedite the efforts to locate the four other missing local residents,” Nartatez said.
Based on the report from the San Luis MPS, the landslide hit a residential area at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 due to heavy rains in the past days. The victims were reported to have been buried under thick mud.
The cadavers of two male victims, aged three and 26 years, have already been retrieved while search and rescue are ongoing for four others —three males and one female.
Five backhoes, two dump trucks, and one grader equipment were used during the operation.
The search and rescue have been affected by bad weather conditions. The search and rescue operations were suspended twice due to heavy rains and resumed Wednesday.
“We will continue the operation until all the missing persons are accounted for and all the affected areas are cleared,” Nartatez said.
He also lauded those involved in the operation for the quick action. (PNA)