PNP prepares for worst case scenarios amid Taal, Kanlaon unrest

Police forces in areas near the Taal and Kanlaon volcanoes were ordered to immediately activate their respective emergency and health response teams to establish a proactive, dual-hazard preparedness posture in response to the recent unrest monitored by volcanologists.

Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr., acting chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said police forces in Cavite and Batangas, the areas that are directly affected in cases of Taal volcano eruption; and, the Negros Island region where the Kanlaon in located, were already placed on alert.

“The strategic activation includes both standard police emergency response teams and specialized health teams. This ensures that the PNP can provide a full spectrum of immediate assistance, ranging from search and rescue operations to medical triage and psychological first aid,” said Nartatez.

The police involvement includes assistance in preemptive evacuation and in other disaster protocols set by local authorities.

In issuing the order, Nartatez underscored the principle of personnel self-sufficiency, emphasizing that police must be prepared to sustain their operations while simultaneously assisting the public.

Nartatez also emphasized the need for the coordinated effort to ensure sufficient supplies of essential safety materials like face masks.

Kanlaon had a minor eruption on Friday and ashfall events on Saturday, while Taal had three minor phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions over the weekend. — Aaron Recuenco