Philippine police banned from posting typhoon zone ‘selfies’

Philippine policemen taking part in relief operations after Super Typhoon Haiyan have been banned from posting “selfies” taken in the disaster zone, a police official said yesterday.

The police leadership ordered the ban on such selfies - pictures taken of oneself and then posted on social media - after hearing that several officers had already posted them, said Lina Sarmiento, head of the community relations section.

“I think that’s (selfies) being insensitive. People there are suffering from the effects of the typhoon, losing home and loved ones, yet here they are posing for pictures as if it is something enjoyable,” Sarmiento said.

The order also instructs policemen who have uploaded selfies from the disaster zone to delete them, she added.

Super Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the central Philippine islands on November 8, flattening entire towns and leaving more than 7,500 people dead or missing.

Hundreds of policemen were sent from Manila to typhoon-stricken areas shortly after the storm to restore order and prevent looting, because many local officers were among the victims.