Eleazar orders NCR cops to determine if additional personnel needed in public areas

Philippine National Police chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar has tasked the unit commanders in the National Capital Region to determine if there is a need to deploy more cops in public and leisure areas amid the downgrading of COVID alert level to 3.

Eleazar made the statement after hundreds of people gathered in public areas across Metro Manila, including the Dolomite Beach at Baywalk, the Marikina River Park, the Quirino Grandstand, and the Mall of Asia grounds during the first week of the Alert Level 3 implementation.

He directed the police officials to continue assessing and coordinating with their respective local government units (LGUs) for the need to deploy additional personnel to implement minimum health standards.

“Kailangang matiyak pa rin natin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan. Kailangang mapairal pa rin ang disiplina at pagsunod sa mga panuntunan sa ilalim ng Alert Level 3. Hindi dahil may pagluluwag na nagaganap, magsisilabasan na tayo sa ating mga tahanan at babalewalain na ang health and safety protocols,” Eleazar said.

(We have to ensure the safety of the public. We should maintain discipline and follow the protocols under Alert Level 3. The relaxed rules does not mean that we should all go out of our homes and disregard health and safety protocols.)

He said the PNP would wait for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force regarding the mobility of minors amid the easing of some protocols and opening of more business establishments.—Sherylin Untalan/AOL, GMA News