Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (PNA photo by Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Monday said PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas complied with the health protocols in going to Oriental Mindoro last week.
In a press conference at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Eleazar said Sinas, whose trip was scheduled for March 9, underwent a swab test which revealed that he was negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
"So in effect for 48 hours, okay siya na pumunta siya doon. 'Yung test niya nung umaga, that is supposed to be para pagpunta niya sa Palawan (which was scheduled for March 11) kasi. The day after that and within 48 hours dapat magpa-check siya para pumunta sa Palawan (He can go there. The test in the morning was supposed to be for the Palawan trip. Within 48 hours he should be tested before going to Palawan)" he added.
Eleazar said Sinas interacted mostly with PNP personnel and of the 98 persons they have accounted for, only 10 were identified to be high-risk close contacts.
"But just the same, itong 98 inoobserbahan at kung kinakailangan ite-test natin (The 98 persons are being observed if needed to be tested)," he added.
PNP Directorate for operations, Maj. Gen. Alfred Corpus, said he joined Sinas in a command visit to Oriental Mindoro.
Sinas was supposed to monitor and supervise the plebiscite in Palawan when he tested positive for Covid-19.
"'Yung sinabi ng ating OIC na si Chief PNP had this RT PCR test last March 9 that is purposely for the visit in (Oriental) Mindoro. Now since Palawan requires RT PCR 24 hours, 48 hours prior to our arrival, he had to have his RT-PCR test again. So 'yung March 9 talagang pasok siya doon sa visit niya sa (Oriental) Mindoro (The March 9 swab test was apt for the Oriental Mindoro visit). The RT-PCR conducted on March 11 was for the Palawan plebiscite," Corpus said.
Corpus said the visiting team complied with all the requirements set by Calapan City.
Unified curfew
Meanwhile, Eleazar said 370 areas have been identified for the setting up of checkpoints for the unified curfew in the National Capital Region starting March 15.
Around 9,000 police personnel in Metro Manila will be deployed for this duty, he added.
Aside from manning checkpoints, police officers will conduct roving patrols.
In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he would leave it to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to decide on the fate of Sinas.
“I leave that to DILG, kasi sila po iyong mayroong supervision sa PNP (because they have supervision over the PNP),” Roque said. (With reports from Azer Parrocha/Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)
