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PNP ready to use assets, personnel in vax deployment

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

May 20, 2021, 1:43 pm

<p><strong>READY TO DELIVER. </strong>Police assets are ready for use to deliver vaccines nationwide, especially in far-flung areas. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the DILG to supervise the safe transport and proper handling of vaccines. <em>(Photos courtesy of PNP)</em></p>

READY TO DELIVER. Police assets are ready for use to deliver vaccines nationwide, especially in far-flung areas. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the DILG to supervise the safe transport and proper handling of vaccines. (Photos courtesy of PNP)

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has ordered Thursday the use of police vehicles to ensure the speedy transportation of Covid-19 vaccines to the provinces, even in far-flung areas.

“We are ready to provide assistance so that Covid-19 vaccines will be delivered immediately to provinces and municipalities outside Metro Manila,” Eleazar said. “We have coordinated with the DOH and the AFP and all concerned agencies for a well-coordinated and quick delivery of vaccines across the country."

Eleazar said he has also ordered police commanders to prepare a deployment and security plan for the personnel who would assist in the transportation of vaccines.

The PNP is among the agencies tasked by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to ensure the speedy delivery of the vaccines after President Rodrigo Duterte directed the department to supervise their safe transport and proper handling in view of reports of wastage.

Eleazar said the speedboats and helicopters of the PNP Maritime Group and the Special Action Force (SAF) are on standby and ready for use to deliver vaccines in far-flung areas.

The PNP Maritime Group has almost 200 floating assets that could be readily deployed.

The SAF has four of seven helicopters for this purpose. The three other PNP helicopters are currently under three-week preventive maintenance.

Eleazar assured that the PNP would be up to the task of safely transporting and distributing the vaccines, saying that the police, too, underwent workshops and simulation exercises. (PNA)

 

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