The Manila Police District (MPD) yesterday said there were fewer crimes reported in the past two days or since President Arroyo placed the country in a state of national emergency.
MDP Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong said there have been no rallies, no riots, and no untoward incident since Saturday, which might have been a result of the suspension of permit to carry firearms in public.
"There were fewer crime incidents because people know that under a state of national emergency they could not bring their firearms even if they have permits to carry (PTC) issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP)," Bulaong said.
The MPD also beefed up security in high-risk areas and at police checkpoints.
PO2 Mark Andal, MPD-Tactical Operations Group (TOC), said that augmentation policemen from the Police Regional Office 1 arrived on Saturday evening to assist the MPD in manning the checkpoints in the city.
"In the past, the MDP does not have checkpoints around Malacañang Palace as security was handled by the Presidential Security Group (PSG), but on Saturday evening four checkpoints were set up in the vicinity," Andal said.
They also retained the big contingent from the civil disturbance management (CDM) along Mendiola Bridge just in case militants and the opposition decide to hold protest rallies in the area.
Bulaong noted, however, that despite the apprehensions created by Presidential Proclamation Order 1017, it was "business as usual" in Manila’s tourist belt covering Malate, Ermita and Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard.