No looting reported after Cebu quake —PNP

No incidents of looting or gender-based violence were reported in Cebu and nearby areas affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.

“Walang recorded looting, so mina-maximize ng Regional Director of Police Regional Office 7 ang maximum police visibility doon sa affected areas,” said Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag, deputy director of the Directorate for Police Community Relations. 

(Police Regional Office 7 is maximizing police visibility in the affected areas.)

“Ang priority is mag-conduct ng rescue operations to ensure safety ng mga tao natin at protektahan ang mga community natin sa looting kaya walang looting incidents,” he added.

(The priority is to conduct rescue operations to ensure the safety of our people and to protect our communities from looting—that’s why there have been no looting incidents. Our police officers haven’t had any sleep.)

PNP Public Information Office chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuano, meanwhile, said police deployment is concentrated on maintaining law and order to deter any potential crimes.

“Naka-concentrate ngayon ang PNP ayon sa kautusan ng Pangulo para sa relief and rehabilitation operations at pagpapanatili ng security doon sa mga area na apektado para maiwasan natin yung mga looting incidents,” he said.

(The PNP is now focused, as ordered by the President, on relief and rehabilitation operations and on maintaining security in the affected areas to prevent looting incidents.) 

Authorities also confirmed that search, rescue, and retrieval (SRR) operations ended Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,250 police officers have been deployed to support ongoing operations, including augmentation from other police regions.

Despite some officers being among those affected by the quake, police operations remain unaffected. 

The deployment comes as government agencies continue to assess the extent of the damage and deliver aid to thousands of residents impacted by the powerful tremor that struck northern Cebu on September 30.

The death toll from the devastating Cebu earthquake has risen to 72, according to the latest figures from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) released on Thursday morning.

NDRRMC said all casualties are still for validation. 

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu on Tuesday has affected 47,221 families, or 170,959, and displaced 20,000 persons, according to their data. —VAL, GMA Integrated News