POLICE Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) Director Brigadier General Ronald O. Lee on Saturday said that they have recorded “zero crime” incidents in earthquake-devastated Abra, specifically in different government-run evacuation centers in the province currently housing over 2,000 individuals.

Acting on orders of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., who used to be the Area Police Command Northern Luzon commander, the Cordillera police chief said he has deployed more uniformed policemen in the province to conduct anti-criminality patrols and ensure the safety and protection of the evacuees.

Currently, there are 16 evacuation centers in Abra housing 583 families composed of 2,296 individuals.

Lee said that 90 uniformed cops patrolled the areas badly hit by the quake to secure damaged houses already vacated by their occupants.

“Patuloy ang ating pagpapatrolya sa mga lugar at pagbisita sa mga tahanan na pansamantalang nilisan ng ating mga kababayan upang kahit papano ay makampante sila habang sila ay nasa mga evacuation centers,” the official said.

Since last week, Lee has been shuttling back to Abra from the Cordillera Police headquarters in Benguet to personally check the actual situation on the ground.

He chairs the security, law and order cluster of the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Cordillera policemen have been assisting in different regional humanitarian operations in the aftermath of the magnitude 7 earthquake.

Early this week, members of the Luba Municipal Police Station helped distribute 200 boxes of hygiene kits donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Since the earthquake struck, the Cordillera Police has already conducted more than 100 relief operations in Abra, Benguet, Kalinga, and Mountain Province, including Baguio City, which benefited nearly 33,000 individuals.

These relief operations include distributing food packs, potable water, and other essential non-food items like pillows, foams, and clothes to affected residents.

The PNP National Headquarters also distributed shoes and deployed its bladder tank kits to give affected residents access to clean water.

The Cordillera Police is also working round-the-clock to repack and load family food packs and non-food items stocked at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warehouse in Puguis, La Trinidad.

Lee said they are also preparing for heavy rains that may be brought by the southwest monsoon in Abra and other quake-hit provinces in the region.

The official said that he has ordered all concerned Cordillera Police units to make the necessary preparations amid their continuing effort to assist the quake victims.

He said that this week, several landslide incidents exacerbated by the continuous rain were recorded in the region, mostly affecting local road networks in Benguet, Mt. Province, and Abra, while flooding was reported in Lamut, Ifugao.

“We are preparing for the possible effects of the continuous rain and are always coordinating with other concerned agencies all our effort to provide the assistance needed by the affected communities,” the official said.

Lee has encouraged Cordillerans, especially those living in mountainous and low-lying areas, to remain vigilant for possible erosion and flash floods. He said that the public needs to regularly monitor weather updates and advisories, especially in critical areas, and evacuate their homes if necessary.

He also encouraged motorists to coordinate with the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices to monitor road conditions before traveling.