PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar ordered all 17 police regional directors and their provincial chiefs to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) in identifying police camps that could be used as vaccination sites as the national government prepares for the inoculation of essential workers and indigent Filipinos this month.

The top cop also tasked his RDs and PDs to prepare this early for the possible use of police camps in the government’s vaccination plan in anticipation of all the possible untoward incidents that may happen.

“Bukas ang pintuan ng bawat kampo ng pulis sa adhikaing ito at kung kinakailangan, handa po ang inyong PNP na sunduin at ihatid ang ating mga kababayan na babakunahan,” he said.

“Kami po ay nasa larangan ng serbisyo publiko at makakasa ang ating mga kababayan ng aming tulong anumang lugar, anumang oras. Sino pa ng aba ang magtutulungan kung hindi tayo-tayo mismo,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar made the assurance came after vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. announced that police and military camps will be used as vaccination sites for the A4 priority sector as more COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrive in the country.

Inoculation for the A4 category in the vaccine priority list, which includes security forces, fire personnel, and those working in customs and immigration, may take place in the last week of May.

Also included in the A4 category are workers deemed as essential during the pandemic and to be prioritized for vaccination. They include frontline workers in commuter transport, wet and dry markets, food service, news media, education, specific government agencies, and overseas workers.

“Naglabas na ako ng utos sa ating mga Regional at Provincial Directors na tukuyin ang mga kampo na puwedeng gawing vaccination sites at maghanda na rin dahil sinabi ni Secretary Galvez na malamang sa susunod na buwan ay mag-umpisa na ang pagbabakuna sa mas maraming bilang nga mga Pilipino. We will submit the list to the NTF COVID-19 of all the camps that could be used, including the protocols that we would implement for the vaccination,” said Gen Eleazar.

The top cop said that police camps would make good vaccination sites because of their wide, open spaces where proper physical distancing will definitely be observed once the administration of vaccines takes place in these areas.

“Personally, I believe magandang venue po itong ating mga kampo para sa vaccination program dahil maluwag at open-space kaya maisasagawa po natin ng maayos ‘yung pagbabakuna,” he said.

“Nasisiguro kong walang siksikan kapag dito ginawa ang bakunahan. Hindi na rin tayo kailangang magdeploy ng mga pulis para bantayan ang bakunahan dahil naroon na sila mismo sa loob ng kampo,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar said he is set to confer with Sec. Galvez on the use of police camps as inoculation hubs.

“We will identify which police camps we can make available for the vaccination and coordinate with the National Task Force against COVID-19 for its requirements. Aalamin natin mula sa kanila kung saang mga lugar nangangailangan ng karagdagang vaccination sites,” he said.

As for the possible use of police stations as vaccination centers, Eleazar said that the PNP has to await further guidance from President Duterte who previously floated the idea.

“Anytime naman na magkaroon ng kautusan sa paggamit ng ating police stations na vaccination venues ay nakahanda tayong ipagamit ang mga ito,” he assured the public.

“Pag-upo ko pa lang bilang PNP chief, ang una kong inutos ay ang pagpapanatiling malinis at maayos ang ating mga opisina, ang ating mga presinto. Kaya sakaling ituloy ang paggamit sa police stations bilang vaccination centers eh handang-handa na tayo,” he said.