VISIT TO QUARANTINE FACILITIES. PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (left) and Deputy Chief for Operations, Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag (center) meet with police officers during their visit to a quarantine facility managed by the PNP on Thursday (Sept. 24, 2020). Eleazar and Binag met with PNP personnel manning the quarantine facilities to listen to their concerns and other needs. (Photo courtesy of JTF Covid Shield)
MANILA – The Joint Task Force Covid Shield and the Administrative Support for Covid-19 Task Force (ASCOTF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have joined forces to synchronize the implementation of the government’s action plans in preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and to take care of Covid-19 patients.
In a statement on Friday, Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, said he and PNP ASCOTF chief, Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, have begun inspecting quarantine and swabbing facilities being managed and supervised by the PNP.
On Thursday, they inspected the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, and the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), and the Mall of Asia Mega Quarantine Facility in Pasay City.
“The guideline given by the Chief PNP, Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, is for the two task forces, the JTF Covid Shield and the ASCOTF, to coordinate so that we can ensure that the mandate will be pursued and followed,” Eleazar said.
This is in line with the "buddy system" that was initiated by Cascolan so that top PNP officials would work together in improving services to the people.
During the inspection, Eleazar and Binag met with the PNP personnel manning the quarantine facilities to listen to their concerns and other needs.
“We are really fortunate to have this inspection visit to meet you and personally ask inputs from you. Mas mahalaga na malaman ang concerns ninyo para mapag-aralan at magawan ng paraan na asikasuhin (It is more important for us to know your concerns so we can look into them and we can do something about them),” Eleazar added.
Meanwhile, Binag cited the need to directly know the concerns of the PNP personnel since they are the ones who are on the front lines, interacting with Covid-19 patients and those being tested.
“They are in (a) better position to tell us at the National Headquarters what resources are still needed in these facilities and what needs to be done in order to improve our services,” he said.
Based on PNP data, as of Thursday night, a total of 5,650 PNP personnel have tested positive for Covid-19, with 4,407 recoveries and 17 deaths. (PNA)
