MANILA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has mobilized frontline forces for rescue and evacuation operations amid widespread flooding, with additional personnel and assets on standby for rapid deployment to the hardest-hit areas, according to local media reports on Sunday.
"We have made available as many personnel and resources as possible for evacuation and disaster response," PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said on Sunday. He advised the public to monitor official channels and refrain from sharing unverified information.
Flooding and gridlock from the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones have crippled major thoroughfares across Luzon, forcing emergency evacuations. In Central Luzon, police have been assisting affected communities through search and rescue, evacuation and relief distribution.
Official data showed 618 families, or 2,039 residents, were sheltering in 46 evacuation centers. Severe flooding hit at least 132 villages across six provinces, with roads and a bridge in Bulacan and Pampanga still impassable, according to the reports. ■