By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed additional units to strengthen security around Mayon Volcano amid indications that the current six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) may be expanded to a seven-kilometer radius.
In a statement on Tuesday, the PNP said police units on the ground were ordered to maintain round-the-clock checkpoint operations and increase visibility at entry points leading to the slopes of Mayon.
Both foot and mobile unit patrols were intensified, with aerial monitoring being considered for remote paths.
“Our ground commanders have been given a clear directive to exercise maximum tolerance but maintain zero compromise on the ‘No Entry’ policy,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
He added that residents who will be caught entering the danger zone for farming will be assisted in returning to evacuation centers, “while explaining the immediate life-threatening risks of pyroclastic density currents.”
“The PNP is coordinating with our grassroots partners,” he said. “We have established a direct communication line between our local police stations and the barangay intelligence networks.”
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) earlier warned that Mayon’s activity could escalate, prompting discussions to widen the current six-kilometer PDZ to seven kilometers.
The expansion would cover more villages already under evacuation, raising concerns over residents attempting to return to tend farms or retrieve belongings.
Nartatez said “local knowledge” remains a key factor in enforcement efforts, as some evacuees have sought to quietly slip back into restricted areas.
“We rely on the local knowledge of barangay officials to identify residents who might be tempted to slip back into their homes, and we are integrating their real-time reports into our deployment shifts,” he said. (PNA)
