NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Major General Vicente D. Danao Jr. on Tuesday said he wants the full vaccination of all members of the Metro Manila police force who remain on the frontline of enforcing minimum health safety protocols in the metropolis to help prevent the further spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.

Maj. Gen. Danao has ordered the five NCRPO districts to fully secure all vaccination centers in Metro Manila with the help of their ‘force multipliers.’

At present, 891 NCRPO personnel, backed up by 1,378 ‘force multipliers’ are monitoring and ensuring the smooth administration of vaccines in Metro Manila apart from ensuring that minimum public health standards like the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields and social distancing will be fully observed.

In a report to Maj. Gen. Danao, NCRPO Regional Medical and Dental Unit chief, Colonel Ma. Nenita S. de Leon said all their personnel deployed in NCR vaccination sites are already fully vaccinated.

“This is to ensure the safety of policemen from being infected with the virus while performing their task,” the official said.

Maj. Gen. Danao said that apart from securing vaccination sites, Metro Manila policemen also face the challenges and threats posed by the coronavirus as they man different quarantine control points and quarantine facilities, aside from providing convoys and route security to workers assigned to deliver the vaccines to their destinations.

Of the 96 Philippine National Police (PNP) COVID-19 fatalities, six are from the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame; seven from different PNP National Operational Support Units; 22 from different National Operational Support Units; and 62 from the different Police Regional Offices.

The NCRPO recorded the biggest number of fatalities with 19, followed by seven from the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO7) in Central Visayas; six from the PRO4-A in Calabarzon region; four each from PRO3 in Central Luzon, PRO6 in Western Visayas and PRO9 in Western Mindanao; and three each from PRO10 in Northern Mindanao; PRO11 in Southern Mindanao; PRO12 in Central Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Administrative Region.

PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar has called on his men to be extra cautious as they continue their anti-criminality campaign while strictly enforcing IATF health protocols in NCR Plus and the rest of the country to help reduce the further spread of COVID-19 especially its more dangerous Delta variant.

NCRPO upgrades search-and-rescue equipment

Meanwhile, more search-and-rescue equipment have been procured by the NCRPO for use of its Regional Mobile Force Battalion in responding to distress calls including the need to rescue Metro Manila residents trapped in deep floodwaters, NCRPO director, Maj. Gen. Danao Jr. announced on Tuesday.

“We have further upgraded our operational capabilities through the procurement of disaster search, response and rescue equipment,” the official said as he led the blessing and official turnover of nearly P1.3 million worth of SAR equipment to the NCRPO-RMFB in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

The equipment include a rotary rescue saw, a demolition hammer, high-angle rescue tools, oval carabiners and twin pulleys needed in rescuing persons trapped under collapsed structures.

“Ang mga kagamitang ito ay tugon po natin sa kasalukuyang kakulangan sa mga instrumentong kikakailangan upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga tauhan sa pagsasagawa ng mga Search-and-Rescue Operations sa buong kamaynilaan. Marami po tayong eksperto at trained na personnel sa larangang ito subalit nahahadlangan ang kanilang pagseserbisyo ng kakulangan ng kagamitan. Kung kaya’t isang karangalan ang maging instrumento upang sa wakas ay matugunan ang mga kakulangang ito tungo sa mas mainam na paghahandog ng Serbisyong TAMA: TApat, may tapang at MAlasakit para sa mamamayan,” said Maj. Gen. Danao.