ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) has dispatched 300 police officers to assist in the response to the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Occidental.
According to PRO-6 spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, the personnel from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) were deployed on Tuesday to support various government agencies in their efforts.
Kanlaon erupted on June 3. It is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island of Negros, as well as the highest peak in the Visayas, with an elevation of 2,465 meters (8,087 feet) above sea level.
“Our 300 officers are stationed in different areas to aid local government units in evacuating affected individuals and families, securing evacuation centers, and performing other public safety tasks in coordination with the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices (LDRRMO),” said Solis.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Jack Wanky personally directed the deployment, stressing the importance of coordination with the LDRRMO and other government agencies.
“Supervise our efforts closely to ensure order in every community. Assist in road clearing, rescue operations, and other activities that guarantee public safety and security,” Wanky said.
In addition to the deployment, Wanky handed over 1,000 relief packs to the local government unit of La Castellana in Negros Occidental to support evacuees.
Kanlaon’s eruption on Monday lasted six minutes based on the seismic record and was preceded by a relatively strong volcano-tectonic earthquake.
Reports of coarse ashfall and sulfurous odor have been reported in communities on western slopes of the volcano.
Kanlaon has been exhibiting above background earthquake activity for the past month./PN
