PNP chief Azurin says military to augment police deployment for Undas

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it will increase the deployment of its personnel ahead of Undas or All Saints' Day with augmentation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In a press briefing, PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said he asked AFP chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro about the matter during their visit to Hawaii recently.

“Sabi ko, ‘Sir, kung kukulangin kami ng mga tao na made-deploy — to ensure na medyo maganda ang ating peace and security — puwede ba na magbigay kayo ng augmentation sa amin?’ And the chief of staff agreed na kung kailangan is we can request on AFP,” Azurin said.

(I told him, “Sir, in case we are short of personnel to deploy — to ensure peace and security — can you provide us augmentation?” And the chief of staff agreed that if we need, we can request from the AFP.)

Asked when the PNP and AFP will be deployed, Azurin said, “We are trying to have an earlier deployment before the Undas siguro [perhaps].”

He said the additional deployment will be to areas where big crowds gather during the "ber" months, most of them in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, as well as in Cebu, Davao, and Baguio.

Azurin said AFP personnel and police officers will be deployed together in an area.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo earlier said with the start of the “ber” months, majority of the over 200,000 PNP personnel will be deployed except for some investigators and non-uniformed personnel who will accommodate walk-in complaints.  —KBK, GMA News