More policemen have been deployed in areas with rising number of Covid-19 cases as a “national policy,” Malacañang said on Friday.
In a virtual briefing, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had issued a directive ordering the Philippine National Police (PNP) to deploy more personnel in areas experiencing surges.
“It is a national policy now,” Roque said.
The country’s Covid-19 cases ballooned to 611,618 on Friday after seeing a one-day rise of 4,578 new cases, the highest since Sept. 14.
DILG Regional Director James Fadrilan said the PNP would help monitor the public’s adherence to health protocols.
“Ang ating mga kapulisan po ay inatasan, specially sa areas of concern, na may nakita tayong mga surges like Metro Manila, iyong presence po, iyong visibility nila ay dinagdagan,” he said.
“And this is true to all other local government units na mayroong surges lalo na po iyong mga areas na mayroong cases, pinababantayan po talaga,” he added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro