PNP deploys over 2,600 cops for Crising, habagat relief

More than 2,600 police officers have been deployed to areas battered by Severe Tropical Storm Crising (international name: Wipha) and the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, Philippine National Police (PNP)  chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said the deployment is part of the organization’s disaster response efforts, with nearly 3,000 personnel now on the ground and another 7,000 on standby under the PNP’s reactionary support force.”

According to Torre, police personnel have so far assisted at least 35,000 individuals currently seeking shelter in evacuation centers. 

The PNP chief also confirmed that 62 police officers were directly affected by the recent weather disturbances.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported five fatalities and seven individuals still missing due to the effects of Crising and the intensified southwest monsoon. 

Citing the latest data as of Monday, the NDRRMC reported that a total of 800,864 people — or 225,985 families — have been affected nationwide. Of these, 20,115 individuals from 5,921 families are currently staying in 319 evacuation centers.

Although Crising exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility over the weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that the habagat remains active and is expected to continue bringing heavy rainfall across many parts of the country in the coming days.

The PNP said it remains on high alert and will continue coordinating closely with local governments and disaster response agencies to monitor conditions and support recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is keeping the nation under Red Alert status even after Crising exited.

In an interview at Camp Aguinaldo, OCD officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro said the heightened alert will remain in place due to a new low-pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Southeastern Luzon, which may intensify the southwest monsoon or habagat in the coming days.

“We are intensifying our early warnings, and we suggest preemptive evacuation if needed to reduce the impact of the upcoming weather disturbance,” he said. 

The LPA is already inside the PAR and is being closely monitored by the state weather bureau, PAGASA, for potential development into a tropical cyclone.

Alejandro explainedthat  the continued alert status allows national and regional disaster response units to remain fully activated, with resources on standby for immediate deployment in case of flooding, landslides, or mass evacuations.  

The OCD urges the public to remain vigilant and follow updates from official government channels, especially as weather conditions remain unstable in many regions.