Rescue workers carry a body bag containing the body of a five-year-old boy as they walk past houses destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan in the town of Tanauan November 20, 2013. The Philippines and international armed forces and aid agencies are struggling to get help to devastated areas due to the extent of the destruction, which has left four million people displaced, threatening Aquino’s reforms that have helped transform the country into one of Asia’s fastest-growing emerging economies.(MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Philippine National Police is still on full-operation mode in disaster-hit areas after Typhoon Yolanda brought wide devastation in the Visayas region, PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima said on Saturday.
“The Cadaver Recovery Team of PNP Special Action Force Search and Rescue (SAF SAR) Team, continuously exert efforts in recovery of casualties in the Visayas,” said Purisima, citing reports coming from the PNP sub-committee on disaster management.
He added that the search, retrieval, relief, law enforcement, security and other police operations of the 1,157 PNP personnel are continuously conducted in the provinces of Leyte and Samar to assist local police units.
“This is the time for solidarity amongst us along the spirit of Serbisyong Makakatohanan. Together, we will rise and recover soon from the tragedy,” the Chief PNP said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in a phone interview, Task Force Cadaver Commander Senior Supt. Pablito Corbeta said they had recovered a total of 1,841 bodies since Nov. 15 up to Nov. 22 of retrieval operations in Tacloban City.
He added that 84 bodies were recovered last Friday. (MNS)