The opening of classes proceeded in a generally peaceful and orderly manner in most parts of the country as an estimated 21 million students returned to school for the start of the school year.
PNP Chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome made this assessment as the National Operations Center in Camp Crame did not monitor any serious untoward incident from the different regions.
“I am personally satisfied with the deployment of troops for police beat patrol and visibility operations in Manila’s University Belt Area, and in vicinity of school premises elsewhere around the country,” Bartolome said.
Nevertheless, Bartolome said he ordered Regional and District Directors to maintain vigilance and sustain the same level of intensified police visibility operations in school areas to preclude any untoward incident.
Local Department of Education (DepEd) officials and school authorities lauded preventive measures implemented by the PNP to sweep school vicinities of possible street crime activities.
