Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 16) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 1 on Tuesday apologized to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the presence of armed policemen in an elementary school in Pangasinan.
The police officers deployed to the Longos Central Elementary School in Alaminos on Monday were part of the security detail of a visiting local government official, according to a field report received by DepEd.
However, the PNP explained that the police personnel were there upon the request of school officials for the first day of the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes, although it also described the incident as an “apparent overreaction” by members of the Alaminos City police.
“The police units only had pure good intention in acting on the request of school officials,” PNP Regional Office 1 director Police Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta said in a statement. “It is just unfortunate that some persons may have felt intimidated by the presence of security personnel,” he added.
The PNP said an investigation is underway to determine possible lapses in the security deployment. A memorandum was also issued to all police heads and mobile force commanders in Region 1 to follow the guidelines of DepEd.
DepEd on Monday stressed “schools are zones of peace” and should be “free from the presence of armed combatants, whether they be from government forces or armed groups.”
