Metro Manila police step up visibility efforts

The Northern Police District will deploy additional personnel and “force multipliers” across Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, following a directive from the National Capital Region Police Office to step up police visibility.

Police Colonel Amante Daro, the Deputy District Director for Administration of NPD, said that the additional personnel will come from the District Mobile Force Battalion and from administrative personnel.

“We are deploying more personnel, along with additional force multipliers, including barangay officials, who will augment our police assistance desks. This allows for a more intensified presence, as we’re working together—with more boots on the ground and support from community stakeholders,” Daro said.

Without specifically disclosing the updated number of law enforcement units, including the augmentation force, Daro said that there are at least 3,500 police enforcers deployed within the whole Camanava area.

Earlier today, NPD Director Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan joined other district chiefs of the Metro Manila police districts as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla kicked off the launch of the Intensified and Recalibrated Police Visibility program.

PNP Chief Police General Rommel Marbil also backed the latest order for the policemen, saying that the initiative would be helpful given the growing ratio between the number of police and the population in Metro Manila.

“What we’re doing right now is we are getting the help of other people. We only have a few personnel, and there are a lot of things to do,” Marbil said.

He also clarified that there were no crime incidents that led to the strengthening of police visibility within the metro.

“It doesn't matter if there's an initiative or not, what we really want here is a zero crime rate,” the PNP chief further said, continuing that the crime rate correlates with a country’s economy.

Crime reduction

Migi Bautista, a call center nurse who works both morning and graveyard shifts, welcomed the PNP’s initiative, saying it can help ensure security—especially during late-night hours.

“I feel relatively safe, especially in the morning since there are more people around and it’s bright. But when it comes to going home at night, it gets a bit scary because there are fewer people on the streets and it’s dark since there aren’t many working streetlights,” Bautista said.

Last Sunday, the NCRPO, through its regional director Police Major Anthony Aberin, noted that there was a 23% decrease in index crimes in Metro Manila from November 2024, meaning there were fewer recorded incidents of rape, murder, homicide, physical injuries, robbery, theft, and carnapping.