Police presence on the streets, reinforced by modern surveillance technologies such as CCTV cameras and drones, remains crucial for the Philippine National Police to carry out its peacekeeping duties and maintain public order effectively.

In a Palace briefing on Friday, Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Officer Claire Castro addressed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that the PNP’s police visibility strategy is already “makaluma” or outdated.

Quoting PNP Chief P/Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Castro emphasized that an in-person police presence remains essential in ensuring community safety, especially in public spaces.

“The Vice President is welcome to come and visit us, and we are more than happy to show her how important the deployment of our policemen in key areas in our quick response team,” Castro said, quoting Torre.

Castro said the PNP chief made it clear that modern technologies, such as drones and CCTVs, have already been integrated into police operations, recognizing that these technologies have strengthened the foundation of the PNP’s quick response systems.

Following Torre’s appointment on June 2, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the PNP to enhance police visibility and improve response times to ensure public safety.

In line with this directive, Torre abolished police boxes and community precincts and deployed the police force to patrol the streets.

Currently, the PNP is now able to respond as quickly as five minutes to emergency calls made through the 911 hotline number in Metro Manila. | PND