PNP braces for

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is already preparing for worse-case scenarios in the country following the confirmation of cases of Delta variant in the country, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said on Monday.

According to the top cop, he has ordered the PNP Administrative Support for COVID-19 Task Force (ASCOTF) headed by Lieutenant Gen. Joselito M. Vera Cruz to spearhead the police preparation.

Lt. Gen. Vera Cruz, also the PNP Deputy Chief for Administration was instructed by the PNP chief to prepare all the medical equipment and supplies for policemen.

“Sa kumpirmasyon ng mga kaso ng Delta variant sa ating bansa, inatasan ko na PNP-ASCOTF sa pamumuno ni Police Lt Gen Joselito Vera Cruz na paigtingin ang paghahanda sa lahat ng PNP medical at quarantine facilities for worse case scenarios. Kasabay nito ang kautusan na tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng lahat ng pulis na naka-deploy sa frontline sa pamamagitan ng pag-alam at pagbibigay ng kanilang mga pangangailangan,” Gen. Eleazar.

“Nagbigay na rin ako ng direktiba kay Police Lt. Gen. Bong Dickson, ang aming Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander, na lalo pang paigtingin ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga local government units sa pagpapatupad ng mga alituntunin upang protektahan ang bawat komunidad sa seryosong banta ng mas nakakahawang Delta variant ng COVID-19,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar said they are preparing amid their previous experiences in addressing COVID-19 concerns.

Last March the medical and quarantine facilities for PNP personnel at Camp Crame in Quezon City were suddenly crowded due to a sudden high increase of those infected from the coronavirus.

This prompted Gen. Eleazar, then the ASCOTF commander and then PNP chief, now retired Gen. Debold M. Sinas to look for more buildings and facilities inside Camp Crame that would be used as quarantine facilities.

Health experts have been also advising the national government to prepare since the Delta variant is considered as more transmissible and was tagged as the reason of the severe wave of infection in India.

The serious COVID problems in Indonesia is also being attributed to the Delta variant. This prompted the Philippine government to include Indonesia in the list of countries with stricter travel restrictions.

Gen. Eleazar again stressed the need for everybody to cooperate on the observance of the minimum public health safety.

“Pero sa huli, ang kooperasyon ng bawat Pilipino ang nanantiling mabisang sandata upang labanan ang pagkalat nito kaya nakikiusap muli ang inyong PNP sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy na seryosohin ang pagsunod sa mimimum public health safety protocol para sa kaligtasan ng bawat isa,” he said.