PNP News Releases 2006

PNP UNITS MOBILIZED FOR GUIMARAS CLEAN-UP DRIVE

PNP Chief, Director General Oscar C Calderon has ordered police authorities in disaster-affected towns and provinces in Western Visayas to mobilize all available resources and personnel to assist in the clean-up efforts of Task Force Guimaras.

At the same time, the Chief PNP instructed the Regional Director for Western Visayas, Chief Superintendent Geary Barias to closely monitor market activities to insure that unscrupulous traders will not take advantage of the disaster situation, and that economic activities in the region will remain unhampered.

"The oil-spill is already a disaster of unimaginable scale, we do not want the people in affected areas to become victims of unscrupulous merchants who might take advantange of the prevailing situation by hiking prices of basic commodities,and hoarding essential goods," Calderon said.

Hundreds of families in some coastal barangay in Guimaras that were heavily affected by the oil-spill have been forcibly evacuated by the provincial government.

Calderon directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to send investigators to Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental to document complaints from persons who had suffered injuries and incurred damages to property as a result of the oil spill, and provide other legal and investigative assistance to Task Force Guimaras.

The Chief PNP also tasked Maritime Group units from neighboring regions in Eastern and Central Visayas, and Mimaropa region to join the clean-up efforts in Guimaras.