Cordi PNP on full alert during holiday season

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-- More than 6,000 policemen in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be on full alert with all personnel ready to respond to any eventuality following the red alert order from the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Full alert ibig sabihin nito lahat kami on call, andito lang kami sa aming mga stations, and units ready for any eventuality (The meaning of full alert [status] is for all personnel to be on call, to be at their stations and units ready to respond to any eventuality),” Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCOR) director, Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson said on Tuesday.

Dickson said the order of the national headquarters is timely as he noted the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26.

"Usually gumagawa ng celebration ng mga yan in the form of atrocities that could be inflicted on the government forces or vital installations. Itong full alert na ito, tamang tama din para mapaghandaan natin yun at mapag patrolan ang mga expected na pwedeng atakehin ng ating mga kalaban (They usually celebrate through atrocities inflicted on government forces or vital installations. The full alert status we are in is timely so that we can be prepared and patrol in areas they are expected to attack)," he said.

Meanwhile, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) commander, Lt. Col. Mario Mayames Jr. said he canceled all leave applications and privileges of the members of the unit who are assigned in combat operations.

He said the combat personnel will have their break after the New Year if the situation permits.

Only the personnel assigned to do administrative jobs and assigned in the offices will have a break because, by January, they will be required to be in the office to do the reports and other documentary compliances.

Mayames said he had requested training on the regional community support program for select personnel from the Special Action Force (SAF), RMFB and the different mobile forces in the provinces in support of Executive Order 70 or Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

He said the training which would be facilitated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will provide them the skills on information operation (IO) or intelligence information gathering in “white areas” or the urban areas where front organizations operate and hold rallies.

“Magaling dyan ang AFP at kailangan i-training ang mga tao natin sa PNP (The AFP is good at that and we lack skills so we need to have a training),” Mayames said.

He said the PNP is good at community relations but they need to work on their community relations that are coupled with intelligence information gathering.

“Sa January, ituloy namin yung joint training, sabayan namin yung combat operation ng information operation, because that is what we really lack in the PNP, the IO (In January, we will pursue with the joint training which we will conduct with the combat operation providing information operation),” he said.

Mayames said the IO is held in white areas while the tactical operation is done in red areas or where armed encounters happen. (PNA)