Police Operational Procedures during Different Alert Levels

August 1, 2016

PNP MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 054-16

POLICE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES DURING DIFFERENT ALERT LEVELS

1. References:

a. PNP Command Memorandum Circular (CMC) No. 18-2013 "Revised Guidelines on the Observance of Alerts Status" dated May 15, 2013;

b. CPNP Memorandum Directive dated July 16, 2012 with subject "Guidelines and Parameters for Declaring Alert Status"; and

c. Four-level Threat Advisory System of the Special Monitoring Committee on Terrorism, Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).

2. Rationale:

This Command Memorandum Circular (CMC) provides guidelines in the observance of different Alert levels in all PNP units/offices.

3. Situation:

During times of peace and crisis, it is imperative that the police organization has precise actions to implement to avoid confusion and preserve order nationwide.

In general, while the PNP adopts the 4-level Threat Advisory System provided by the Anti-Terrorism Council, there is no single Alert level that is implemented in the whole country because each Alert level is declared based on the security situations/conditions and required measures of each area. Different PNP units in different geographic locations may issue separate defense readiness conditions at varying levels at any given time.

Despite the different threat levels in the country, it is necessary that the PNP should have a standard and clearly defined set of security actions to be undertaken by all its units during these various Alert levels.

4. Purpose:

Concurrent with its mission and functions, the PNP shaft adopt a standard set of activities/actions to be undertaken by all PNP units during various Alert levels to:

a. Rationalize and clarify specific alert protocols to be followed by PNP components at all levels of Command;

b. Encourage practical methods of enhancing the security posture of police offices/stations and PNP Maneuver Units;

c. Employ innovative measures towards maximizing utilization of PNP resources;

d. Promote competence in police procedures and operations; and

e. Standardize observable activities on the ground during various levels of Alert Status. HTcADC

5. Definition of Terms and Parameters:

a. Terrorism Threat Advisory System — the scale that provides alerts specific to the terrorist threat.

The Anti-Terrorism Council provided a 4-level Threat Advisory System namely:

1) Level 1 (Low), when there is no information to suggest a specific and imminent terrorist attack;

2) Level 2 (Moderate), when a terrorist attack is possible but not likely;

3) Level 3 (High), when a terrorist attack is a strong possibility within a short period of time; and

4) Level 4 (4A: Severe), when a terrorist attack is highly likely; (4B: Critical), when a terrorist attack has occurred or has just been pre-empted and follow-on attacks are expected.

 The Terrorism Threat Advisory System will outline the steps/measures to be undertaken by the law enforcement agencies and other concerned agencies in response to a particular security situation/condition.

b. Normal Alert — A condition attended by any of the following:

1) Peace and order situation is relatively stable;

2) Threat is minimal;

3) Terrorism Threat Advisory System is LOW (Level 1); i.e., there is no information to suggest a specific and imminent terrorist attack; and

4) Terrorism Threat Advisory System is MODERATE (level 2); i.e., a terrorist attack is possible but not likely.

c. Heightened Alert — A condition attended by any of the following:

1) Unusual incidents of violence, riots, sabotage, terrorism (Level 3), civil disobedience, rallies, and other mass actions;

2) Insurgents and other terrorist/criminal groups initiate hostilities;

3) The peace and order situation is deteriorating but has not yet reached critical proportions;

4) Bombing or terrorism incidents outside the country that may require special units to be ready for deployment anywhere in the country;

5) Forecast of impending calamities like strong typhoon, storm surge, and tsunami alert;

6) The President travels out of the country; and

7) Terrorism Threat Advisory System is HIGH (Level 3); i.e., a terrorist attack is a strong possibility within a short period of time.

d. Full Alert — A condition attended by any of the following:

1) Perceived or actual threat to national security;

2) The environment is characterized by large-scale acts of violence, sabotage, riots, and other farms of violence, civil disobedience, rallies, demonstrations, and nationwide mass actions;

3) There are heightened and alarming escalations of violence and disturbances;

4) Imminent danger to people's lives and communities exists (man-made and natural disaster);

5) The prevailing situation disrupts government functions, operations of public utilities, and the delivery of basic services to the general public;

6) Peace and order situation becomes unstable;

7) The conduct of national events (SONA and elections), international events, and other similar major events requiring multi-agency partnerships and cooperation like APEC summit, visit of relevant international personalities, i.e., Pope Francis; and

8) Terrorism Threat Advisory System is EXTREME (Level 4); i.e., a terrorist attack is highly likely (SEVERE) or a terrorist attack has occurred or has just been pre-empted and follow-on attacks are expected (CRITICAL).

6. Guidelines:

The following guidelines shall be strictly adhered to during the different alert levels as indicated:

a. Procedures:

1) Normal Status: All personnel shall be accounted for and shall perform their regular police functions in their respective offices/units.

a) Administrative:

a.1) Review operational security and emergency plans and procedures;

a.2) Remind staff on security and alert issues;

a.3) Conduct inventory and update of trained personnel on Internal Security Operations (ISO), Counter-Terrorism, Chemical Biological Radioactive Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE), and disaster;

a.4) Routine detail of duty personnel shall be observed;

a.5) Public Safety Forces (PSF) shall perform their mandated functions and follow normal schedule of duty detail, but shall maintain an alert team or platoon, as the case may be, ready to be deployed when needed; and aScITE

a.6) Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP) stay inside camps/offices to carry out regular duties, and to be on call as necessary when the Alert is declared on a non-working day.

b) Operational:

b.1) Conduct regular camp defense plan rehearsals to ensure that every member of the unit is aware of their individual roles, defense positions, actions, and counter-actions in the event of an attack;

b.2) Conduct security survey/inspection of police installations and undertake corrective measures on defects noted;

b.3) Rationalize the assignment of PNP personnel in Public Safety Forces and equip them with knowledge and skills on Internal Security Operations CBRNE and Counter-terrorism;

b.4) Conduct refresher trainings and SIMEX for personnel performing combat operations, CDM operations, counter-terrorism, CBRNE, and disaster preparedness; and

b.5) Conduct intelligence monitoring on activities of the CNN and other threat groups.

2) Heightened Alert Status: The following measures are implemented in addition to the Normal Alert Status activities:

a) Administrative:

a.1) All PNP offices/units/stations are informed of the Heightened Alert Status;

a.2) Granting of leaves to PNP uniformed personnel shall be suspended. Those who are already on leave prior to the declaration of Heightened Alert status, may not be recalled, but shall be notified of the Alert status through the fastest means of communication available. They should be ready to be recalled anytime in the exigency of the service;

a.3) Additional duty time for personnel except for PSF will be implemented:

a.3.a) Schedule of posting on duty of personnel shall be followed; however, their duty time shall be extended by 25%; whereby, if they are performing an 8-hour duty shift, they shall render two more hours of duty time. Notwithstanding the extended duty hour of the outgoing duty detail, the incoming duty detail (reliever) shall report/post for duty on the prescribed/routine schedule, resulting in an overlapping on post of the outgoing and incoming detail. As this progresses, during the 24-hour period, the personnel of the station/unit in the three shifts has actually rendered six mare hours of duty, translating into an increased number of personnel who performed duty. In effect, there is an overall increase of personnel strength by 25% during the Heightened Alert Status (see attached Illustration 1);

a.3.b) PNP offices/units and police stations that are performing 12-hour duty detail/shift, the additional 25% duty time translates to three hours additional duty time (extending the duty period to 15 hours). An overlapping of three hours per shift results in extra duty time of six hours during the 24-hour period. In effect, there is a 25% increase in the number of personnel on duty during the Heightened Alert status of the station/unit (see attached Illustration II); and

a.3.c) PNP offices/units with 24-hour duty detail/shift, such as SWAT teams, SOCO teams, investigators, etc., perform additional 25% of duty time, which will mean an overlapping of six hours whereby the strength of personnel on duty is doubled. Similar to the foregoing duty detail shifts, will translate to an additional 25% increase in strength of personnel (see attached Illustration III).

a.4) Personnel of Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB), Provincial/City Public Safety Company (PPSC/CPSC), Provincial Public Safety Platoon (PPSP) and Special Action Force (SAF) are provided with billeting facilities or barracks inside the camps or patrol bases or encampments because they are expected to provide a ready deployable force during normal situations as well as during emergencies. Hence, Maneuver units must be able to muster and mobilize a considerable strength during elevated levels of Alert status. HEITAD

a.4.a) All PSF personnel are accounted for and shall perform their regular duties during office hours. Seventy five percent (75%) of the total number of personnel shall remain physically present in their respective offices/units during office hours, weekends and holidays. Other personnel, however, shall stay within their contact address and are on call;

a.4.b) Accounting of personnel shall be done twice a day at designated Saturday Rank Inspection areas;

a.4.c) PSF and special units like SWAT, EOD/K9, AVSEGRP, MG, and CBRNE shall be ready for deployment on orders of NHQ PNP;

a.4.d) Organize tactical reserve platoons and CDM contingent ready for deployment;

a.4.e) All PNP personnel trained in combat operations, CDM operations, counter-terrorism, CBRNE, and disaster preparedness assigned in different offices shall be recalled to the NHQ, RHQ or PHQ;

a.4.f) PSF commanders through the Provincial Directors, City Directors, and RPSB Commanders to immediately conduct security audit of the state of readiness of its personnel in terms of mobility, firearms/ammunition and communication equipment; and

a.4.g) NUP may be assigned as augmentation personnel, to man posts left by uniformed personnel, provided there is no escalation and/or deterioration of the peace and order situation. Should there be an escalation/or deterioration of peace and order situation, NUP will be ordered to go home.

b) Operational:

b.1) Strengthen target hardening measures in vital installations, key assets, tourist destinations, and places of convergence;

b.2) Conduct proper coordination with territorial units of the PNP and the AFP by all possible means to avoid misencounter;

b.3) Intensify intelligence monitoring of activities of the CNN and other threat groups like the Abu Sayyaff Group, BIFF, Private Armed Groups, Rouge MNLF, etc., in coordination with the AFP, Barangay Officials, Bantay Bayan and Barangay Information Networks (BINs);

b.4) Conduct random checkpoints and beat/foot/mobile patrols in crime-prone areas utilizing the RPSB, PPSC, CPSC and SWAT; and

b.5) Red Teams to check the operational readiness of all special units in their respective AORs.

3) Full Alert Status: The following measures are implemented in addition to Heightened Alert Status activities:

a) Administrative:

a.1) All PNP offices/units/stations are informed of the Full Alert Status;

a.2) All uniformed PNP personnel shall be on stand-by inside camps even during weekends and holidays and accounting of personnel will be conducted three times a day at designated Saturday Rank Inspection areas;

a.3) Granting of leases to PNP uniformed personnel shall be suspended. Those who are already on leave prior to the declaration of Full Alert status shall be accounted and recalled as situation demands, except for female PNP uniformed personnel who are on maternity leave or personnel granted leaves prior to the declaration of Full Alert status whose given address while on leave is beyond 50 kilometers from the mother unit. They, however, shall contact and inform their mother units of their whereabouts and disposition for accounting purposes as soon as possible through the fastest means of communications available. They shall likewise seek guidance/instructions from their respective mother units; ATICcS

a.4) Additional duty time for personnel will be implemented:

a.4.a) Schedule of posting on duty of personnel shall be followed, however, their duty time shall be extended by 50%; whereby, if they are performing an 8-hour duty detail/shift, they shall render four more hours of duty time. Notwithstanding the extended duty hour of the outgoing duty detail, the incoming duty detail (reliever) shall report/post for duty on the prescribed/routine schedule, resulting in an overlapping on post of the outgoing and incoming detail. As this progresses, during the 24-hour period, the personnel of the station/unit in the three shift have actually rendered 12 more hours of duty. In effect, there is an overall increase of personnel strength by 50% during the Full Alert status;

a.4.b) PNP offices/units and police stations that are performing 12-hour duty detail/shift shall render the additional 50% duty time, which translates to six hours additional duty time (extending the duty period to 18 hours). An overlapping of six hours per shift results in extra duty time of 12 hours during the 24-hour period. In effect, there is a 50% increase in the number of personnel during the Full Alert Status of the station/unit; and

a.4.c) Police units with 24-hour duty detail/shift such as SWAT teams, SOCO teams, investigators, etc., perform additional 50% of duty time, which will mean an overlapping of 12 hours whereby the strength of personnel on duty is doubled. Similar to the foregoing duty detail shifts, this will translate to an additional 50% increase in strength of personnel.

a.5) All PSF personnel are physically present (100% accounted) even on weekends and holidays;

a.6) PSF personnel and special units like SAF, SWAT, EOD/K9, AVSEGRP, and MO and all PNP personnel trained in combat operations, CDM operations, counter-terrorism, CBRNE, and disaster preparedness shall be deployed in their respective designated/assigned areas;

a.7) Food provision for all PNP personnel will be provided by their respective offices; and

a.8) All NUP will not be ordered to report to their offices and when they are already inside camps/offices when Full Alerts Status is declared, they will be directed to leave the camps immediately whether or not there is an escalation or deterioration of peace and order situation.

b) Operational:

b.1) Deployment of PSF personnel from RPSB/PPSC/CPSC to secure airports, seaports, and other vital installations to prevent the entry/incursion of threat groups;

b.2) Deployment of Tactical Reserve Platoons, contingency forces and armored assets to support the conduct of operations;

b.3) A standby force from MG and AVSEGRP (one platoon each) and SAF (one company) trained in counter-terrorism will be OPCON to concerned territorial units when crisis situation arises;

b.4) Designation of pre-arranged Primary Rallying Points (PRPs) where PNP/AFP forces can consolidate to reinforce police stations/units under enemy attacks and/or orchestrate a counter-attack against the enemy;

b.5) Designation of an Incident Commander (IC) and organization of a Critical Incident Management Task Group (CIMTG) in all potential target areas;

b.6) Activation of the Incident Command Post (ICP);

b.6) n  Convene the Battle Staff, composed of members of the Quad Staff at the Situation Monitoring Room (SMR), NHQ; and TIADCc

b.7) Designate the Chief, National Operations Center (C, NOC) as the Secretariat of the Battle Staff.

b. General Guidelines on Duration:

Heightened as well as Full Alert status, shall have a maximum duration of 30 days, after which, it will be automatically downgraded, unless a continuing threat to national security is imminent.

c. Responsibilities:

All units of the PNP are tasked accordingly and shall perform, among others, additional tasks necessary within their mandates for the successful accomplishment of the mission specified herein.

1) DO

a) OPR in the implementation of this MC;

b) Declare the appropriate General Alert Status PNP-wide, based on intelligence assessment and recommendations of DI;

c) Endorse to DPRM the issuance of orders for PNP personnel to be deployed during Full Alert Status; and

d) Perform other tasks as directed.

2) DPRM

a) Issue appropriate orders to PNP personnel deployed during Full Alert Status;

b) Issue a Memorandum to all PNP units suspending granting of leaves during Full and Heightened Alert Status;

c) OPR in the organization and activation of the NHQ Reactionary Standby Support Force (NHQRSSF);

d) Prepare order for NHQRSSF to be placed OPCON to HSS; and

e) Perform other tasks as directed.

3) DI

a) Update DO on the current situation and submit rapid assessment report when necessary or required during Heightened and Full Alert Status twice a day; and

b) Perform other tasks as directed.

4) UPCR

a) Prepare a Communications Plan (COMPLAN) during Heightened and Full Alert levels;

b) Coordinate with media entities for the broadcast/publication of Alert Status levels when necessary; and

c) Perform other tasks as directed.

5) UHRDD

a) Conduct an inventory of personnel trained in combat operations, CDM operations, counter-terrorism, CBRNE, and disaster preparedness during Normal Alert Status to identify those to be deployed for special operations during Full Alert Status; and

b) Perform other tasks as directed.

6) DIDM

a) Conduct investigation and file appropriate charges against PNP personnel absent during Full Alert Status; and

b) Perform other task as directed;

7) DL

a) Provide resources needed by PNP personnel on standby in their respective camps during Full Alert Status; and

b) Perform ether tasks as directed.

8) DC

a) Provide funds to offices/units for the provision of food for PNP personnel during Full Alert Status; and

b) Perform other tasks as directed.

9) HSS

a) Conduct accounting of personnel inside Camp Crame;

b) Conduct accounting of the NHQRSSF; and

c) Perform other tasks as directed.

10) NSUs

a) Advise respective personnel on the alert status and remind them of the requirements for various alert levels;

b) Submit every 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM the daily status of respective personnel to the Camp Commander during Heightened Alert and Full Alert Status; and

c) Perform other tasks as directed.

11) PROs

a) Ensure the proper implementation of this MC in their respective AORs; AIDSTE

b) Conduct SIMEX for all units to familiarize personnel of their respective roles during different Alert levels;

c) Ensure that all specialized units in their respective AORs are equipped in terms of firearms, ammunition, vehicles, and communication equipment and ready for deployment as the need arises;

d) Issue detail orders to all personnel assigned in special units; and

e) Perform other tasks as directed.

d. Coordinating Instructions:

1) All units in NHQ except those placed on OPCON to PROs, shall follow the Alert Status declaration of DO;

2) In the absence of a PNP-wide General Alert Status declared by DO, RDs, PROs are given the discretion to declare, upgrade, and downgrade Alert Status in their respective AORs based on their assessment of the prevailing situation and peculiarities of their respective AORs;

3) RDs, PROs shall appropriately notify the CPNP (Thru: DO) regarding the elevation of their alert status to Full Alert Status, and the reason for such declaration;

4) Regional Support Offices of the National Support Units (NSUs) and their detached units shall follow the same Alert status of the PRO where they are placed on OPCON;

5) All units in the NHQ, SAF, and AVSEGROUP, except those placed under OPCON to PROs, shall depend upon the declaration of Alert status by TDO;

6) Camp Commanders of PROs, PPOs, and CPOs, to include PSF Maneuver Units, SAF, MG, and AVSEGRP or their equivalent Camp Commanders, if any, shall be responsible for the accounting of their personnel inside camps;

7) It shall be the responsibility of the Camp Commanders; Directors, SAF and AVSEGRP or their equivalent Camp Commanders, if any, to designate appropriate contingency forces during Alert status and to ensure the security of their camps/stations;

8) Coordination among administrative and operational PNP units is encouraged to ensure that all requirements are met and overall peace and order is achieved, without prejudice to the protocol on reporting to higher offices and Doctrine on Command Responsibility;

9) National Operation Center (NOC) and Regional Technical Operation Center (RTOC) shall disseminate Alert Status and indicate measures for each level thru SMS; and DPCR to disseminate thru quad media (print, tv, radio, and internet) when necessary;

10) The following uniforms will be used during the declaration of Full Alert Status due to different threats/situations:

a)	Terrorism, CNN, and	-	BDU (Camouflage Green)
	other threat groups		for Maneuver units
b)	Special and Major Events	-	GOA "C"
c)	Disaster	-	SAR Uniform

11) All PNP organic vehicles issued to particular offices/units shall be appropriately pooled inside camps for proper accounting and disposition upon the declaration of Heightened and Full Alert Status;

12) Respective offices/units shall submit every 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, the daily status of their personnel to the Camp Commander during Heightened Alert and Full Alert Status;

13) Firearms, crew-served weapons, and other armaments and ammunition shall be issued by the concerned offices in accordance with existing policies when the prevailing threat situation, so dictates;

14) Food provision for all PNP personnel will be provided by their respective units/PROs; and

15) Territorial units where the crisis incidents occur will be the receiving units of the augmentation teams.

7. Rescission Clause:

All other SOPs, policies, directives, and other issuances previously issued which are inconsistent with the policies/guidelines stated in this Memorandum Circular are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly.

8. Effectivity:

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect after 15 days from filing a copy thereof at the UP Law Center in consonance with Section 3, Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order 292 otherwise known as the "Revised Administrative Code of 1987," as amended. AaCTcI

(SGD.) RONALD M. DELA ROSAPolice Director General

ATTACHMENT

Illustration I

8-Hour Shift Duty Detail

 

Note: If duty detail starts at 8am and ends at 4pm during normal alert days, 25% of duty time, i.e., 2 hours, is added to the posting period during heightened alert. Hence, there is overlapping by 2 hours between shifts since there is no change in the reporting/posting time of the incoming duty personnel, e.g., 4:00 pm for Team B. If the duty teams are composed of 7 men, in a 21-man station, for every 24-hour duty period, there is an increase of 21 men performing duty for 6 hours. Which can be translated mathematically to 1.75 additional men every 8-hour period. In effect, there will be 5.25 (25% of 21) more men during the 24-hour period. Relatedly, during full alert status, there is overlapping by 50% or 4 hours since the outgoing personnel stays on duty for 4 more hours even as the designated reliever has reported already on the prescribed time. Which in effect is also translated to a 50% increase in the strength of personnel during the full alert status.

Illustration II

12-Hour Shift Duty Detail

 

Note: If duty detail starts at 8am and ends at 8pm during normal alert days, 25% of duty time, i.e., 3 hours, is added to the posting period during heightened alert. Hence, there is overlapping by 3 hours between shifts since there is no change in the reporting/posting time of the incoming duty personnel, e.g., 5:00 pm for Team B. If the duty teams are composed of 7 men, in a 21-man station, for every 36-hour duty period, there is an increase of 21 men performing duty for 9 hours. Which can be translated mathematically to 1.75 additional men every 12-hour period. In effect, there will be 5.25 (25% of 21) more men during the 36-hour period. Relatedly, during full alert status, there is overlapping by 50% or 6 hours since the outgoing personnel stays on duty for 6 more hours even as the designated reliever has reported already on the prescribed time. Which in effect is also translated to a 50% increase in the strength of personnel during the full alert status.

Illustration III

24-Hour Shift Duty Detail

 

Note: If duty detail starts at 8am and ends at 8am during normal alert days, 25% of duty time, i.e., 6 hours, is added to the posting period during heightened alert. Hence, there is overlapping by 6 hours between shifts since there is no change in the reporting/posting time of the incoming duty personnel, e.g., 8:00 am for Team B. If the duty teams are composed of 7 men, in a 21-man station, for every 72-hour duty period, there is an increase of 21 men performing duty for 18 hours. Which can be translated mathematically to 1.75 additional men every 24-hour period. In effect, there will be 5.25 (25% of 21) more men during the 72-hour period. Relatedly, during full alert status, there is overlapping by 50% or 12 hours since the outgoing personnel stays on duty for 12 more hours even as the designated reliever has reported already on the prescribed time. Which in effect is also translated to a 50% increase in the strength of personnel during the full alert status. 

n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official copy. Duplication of item b.6.