MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday maintained that its intensified security preparations for the 49th Asean Summit next week would not disrupt regular police operations or weaken its presence in communities nationwide.
Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., PNP Chief,directed all regional and local police commanders to maintain sufficient personnel in their respective areas to sustain patrols, crime prevention operations, and emergency response services.
“Our commitment to securing the Asean Summit will not come at the expense of the safety and security of our communities. The PNP’s regular police operations, crime prevention efforts, and emergency response services remain fully operational while we fulfill our Summit security responsibilities,” Nartatez said.
The PNP placed the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Police Regional Office 3 in Central Luzon, Police Regional Office 4A in Calabarzon, and all Camp Crame-based units under full alert status from Nov. 13 to 19, 2026.
The full alert status requires 100 percent personnel presence to ensure operational readiness for the summit. The PNP may extend the measure if necessary. More than 19,000 police personnel have been deployed for summit security which are backed by over 3,000 personnel from other government agencies.
Nartatez stressed that the deployment would not diminish the PNP's responsibility to protect ordinary citizens, particularly as the country prepares for an influx of travelers during the extended holiday break.
“The public should be assured that while our attention is focused on ensuring the safe and successful conduct of the ASEAN Summit, our duty to protect every Filipino remains unchanged,” he said.
“We will not allow our heightened security preparations to weaken our presence in communities because public safety is a continuing responsibility, not an assignment that can be put on hold,” the PNP chief added.
