PNP deploys 21K personnel for All Saints', Souls' Day safety

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed 21,000 personnel nationwide to enhance public safety during this year's All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day observance.

Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, PNP chief, ordered intensified security measures and essential assistance for motorists and the public in preparation for the annual holidays, deploying more officers to communities, cemeteries, transport terminals, and other areas where people traditionally gather.

Police units are focusing on deterring crimes such as akyat-bahay while providing support for traffic and crowd management around cemeteries and major roadways, with preventive anti-crime operations in strategic locations.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) mandated tollway operators to open all lanes, implement counterflow traffic schemes, provide free towing of Class 1 vehicles, continuous traffic updates, and suspend road works that may impede traffic flow during the holiday period.

Operators are also required to establish assistance stations for motorists in distress, prevent unauthorized access to toll roads, and coordinate with local governments to ensure smooth traffic flow at exits and interchanges.