Quarantine checkpoint at the Marikina-Cainta, Rizal boundary. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it has created a task force that focuses on providing administrative support to police officers implementing the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
"Ang aking pinangangasiwaan ngayon yung actual operations para ma-implement lahat ng mga guidelines [Under my authority are the actual operations to implement all the guidelines] Ang role naman po ng administration [The role of the administration] is to see to it that all support needed by our men in the operation will be sustained," PNP deputy chief for operations, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a radio interview.
Eleazar, also commander of the Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield (JTF CV Shield), said the Administrative Support to Covid-19 Operations Task Force (ASCOTF) to be headed by PNP deputy chief for administration, Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, was created to oversee operations and monitor logistical aspect of the deployment which include providing medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) to cops.
It will also be in charge of the deployment of the PNP's Medical Reserve Force in the areas identified by the government as quarantine areas for Covid-19 such as the Philippine International Convention Center, Rizal Memorial Stadium and other facilities of the Philippine Sport Complex converted as health facilities to cater patients of the said disease.
"The concern, welfare and morale ng ating mga pulis ay dapat tutukan [The concern, welfare, and morale of our policemen should be the focus]. Operational aspect will be sustained and maintained dahil hindi po tayo puwedeng tumigil sa ating ginagawa [because we cannot stop from doing our job]," he stressed.
PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa said the task force was created in preparation for a possible extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, and management of local health emergency in other areas.
“We are preparing our optimum and efficient management, distribution and utilization of resources and supply chain for the long haul,” he said.
Eleazar, meanwhile, said a strategy on the deployment of police officers is now being studied.
"Strategy po yan, hindi puwedeng lahat ng pulis nasa kalsada, paano kung magkaroon ng problema eventually [That’s a strategy, not all the time the policemen are on the road, what if there will be problem eventually]," Eleazar said.
So far, the number of quarantine violators in the country has reached 87,494.
Of this number, 61,314 were given a warning, 4,184 fined and 21,996 arrested.
"So hindi po totoo na pinababayan ng otoridad po yan [So the claims that authorities are doing nothing about it is not true]," Eleazar said. (PNA)
