The Philippine National Police (PNP) reports that peace and order remain stable in areas affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao earlier this week. The quake hit at about 7:37 a.m. on Monday, located 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim in Sarangani. As of June 9, the Office of Civil Defense reported 37 deaths, while authorities reported widespread disruption but no major security incidents in the regions covered by the PNP’s operations.
The PNP says it will keep forces on a heightened alert despite the cancellation of tsunami warnings, citing continuing risks from aftershocks. This heightened posture includes security monitoring in evacuation centers and coastal zones.
In its continuing response, the PNP reports monitoring more than 22,900 evacuees. Those evacuees are housed in 37 occupied evacuation centers out of 1,705 prepared in affected areas. The PNP also says it conducted six coordinated search, rescue, and retrieval operations, rescuing at least 147 people and retrieving 15 bodies as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
