THE PHILIPPINE National Police Regional Office in the Ilocos-Pangasinan Region apologized to the Department of Education for the presence of armed personnel in a public elementary school on Monday.

Police Brigadier General Emmanuel Peralta, Regional Director in Region 1, said police personnel were deployed to the Longos Central Elementary School in Barangay Pangabisan, Alaminos City on Monday.

In his report to PNP chief Dionardo Carlos, Peralta said that the request to deploy policemen came from school officials on the first day of pilot testing of face-to-face classes.

Peralta explained that Major Reinwexk Alamay, officer-in-charge of the Alaminos City Police Station, sent a team composed of personnel from the Alaminos Police Station, with augmentation from the 1st Pangasinan Provincial Mobile Force Company and EOD-K9 to provide police assistance and security.

“The police units only had good intention in acting on the request of school officials. It is just unfortunate that some persons may have felt intimidated by the presence of security personnel,” he said.

“The organization shall always act according to its mandate of promoting nation building among stakeholders,” Peralta added.

The incident triggered an outcry from some groups.

Peralta said that he issued a memorandum to all chiefs of police and Mobile Force commanders in Region 1 to remind them of the guidelines and protocol under DepEd’s National Framework on Learners and Schools.