Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Motorists navigate a flooded street due to the rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon in Pampanga on August 31, 2026. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP

Article (news)

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178822592285420260831-habagat-pampanga-flooding-AFP-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Motorists navigate a flooded street due to the rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon in Pampanga on August 31, 2026. <em>Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered local police units to step up monitoring and deploy personnel to flooded roads, vulnerable bridges and other high-risk areas as continuing rains threaten public safety and disrupt travel.</p><p>PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. issued the directive following the collapse of Agana Bridge in Tarlac and severe flooding that left motorists stranded for hours along a portion of the North Luzon Expressway in San Simon, Pampanga.</p><p>The Agana Bridge collapsed on Aug. 29 while serving as an alternative route after the Aquino Bridge partially collapsed a day earlier amid heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat.</p><p>An SUV was swept into the river following the collapse.</p><p>One passenger was rescued, while four others remained missing as search and rescue operations continued.</p><p>Nartatez said police immediately secured the area, coordinated with other responding agencies and joined the search for the missing passengers.</p><p>“Our priority was to ensure public safety and help locate those who remain missing,” Nartatez said in a statement.</p><p>The PNP chief ordered the Tarlac police to maintain security and crowd control around the collapsed bridge and continue participating in search and rescue operations.</p><p>He also directed police commanders nationwide to coordinate closely with local government units and disaster-response agencies to immediately secure roads, bridges and other areas affected by the continuing rains.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ASSISTANCE ON FLOODED ROADS<span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178822612194520260831-nlex-flooding-san-simon-mmda-MT8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">MMDA personnel set up flood barriers along a flooded section of the North Luzon Expressway near the San Simon Exit in Pampanga, at around 3:32 p.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026. The team was deployed to assist motorists and help mitigate flooding so that light vehicles can safely pass through waters that are currently passable only to large vehicles.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></strong></div><p><strong></strong>The PNP also ordered police chiefs and unit commanders to strengthen monitoring of flooded roads and expressways after motorists were stranded for hours along the flooded San Simon section of NLEX.</p><p>Flooding began Friday and worsened over the weekend, causing traffic queues stretching more than 7 kilometers northbound and around 5 to 6 kilometers southbound.</p><p>Nartatez said police vehicles should be strategically prepositioned to respond to emergencies and assist motorists stranded by flooding and heavy traffic.</p><p>“Motorists are usually left on their own in dealing with flooded roads. We do not want that to happen,” Nartatez said.</p><p>“There should be police presence in areas where they are needed, and that includes this kind of situation in cases of emergencies and other forms of assistance that the PNP is capable of.”</p><p>Territorial police units were ordered to maintain visibility in affected areas, assist stranded motorists, facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles and coordinate with LGUs and expressway managements.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SAFETY OF PNP PERSONNEL</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The PNP chief also reminded commanders to ensure the health and safety of personnel deployed in flooded areas, including providing them with proper protective gear, equipment and medicines amid rising leptospirosis cases.</p><p>The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 5,486 leptospirosis cases nationwide from January 4 to August 26 and warned that infections could continue to rise in the coming weeks following recent rains and flooding.</p><p>More than 400 areas across four regions have experienced severe flooding, according to the Office of Civil Defense.</p><p>The PNP said thousands of personnel have been deployed for emergency response, including in evacuation centers, search and rescue operations, road clearing and the protection of vulnerable groups.</p><p>“Those who provide service and protection in this time of serious weather challenge must also be taken care of. The protection and welfare of every police personnel should always be considered in every deployment order.” </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/efsMh1BSoIg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IgT_pT8irdg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AorKghzBycM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine National Police has ordered local police units to step up monitoring and deploy personnel to flooded roads, vulnerable bridges and other high-risk areas as continuing rains threaten public safety and disrupt travel.</p>

The Philippine National Police has ordered local police units to step up monitoring and deploy personnel to flooded roads, vulnerable bridges and other high-risk areas as continuing rains threaten public safety and disrupt travel.

PNP orders police presence on flooded roads, vulnerable bridges amid continuing rains

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PNP orders police presence on flooded roads, vulnerable bridges amid continuing rains

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 01, 2026 09:30 AM PHT

Read More:

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flooded roads

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