Pangilinan renews call for plan, protocols for front-liners, including police, military

August 29, 2020

FOLLOWING reports of increasing COVID-19 cases in the police force, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan reiterates the need for clear plans and protocols for new normal.

“Nababahala at nag-aalala kami sa mga balitang parami nang parami sa ating mga kapulisan ang positibo sa COVID-19. Malaking bahagi sila ng pandemic response ng pamahalaan. Pero ano’ng mangyayari sa mga plano kung sunod-sunod silang nagkakasakit habang ginagampanan ang kanilang tungkulin? There has to be a better, clearer, safer way to go about the new normal,” Pangilinan said.

According to August 28 news reports, the police chief and the entire police force of Tuguegarao City have been infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Tuguegarao City police chief Col. Jonalyn Tecbobolan and 13 other police officers tested positive for the virus. The city police office has been in lockdown since August 17 after 10 police officers and other non-uniformed personnel earlier also tested positive. 

“Mahalaga ang kanilang kalusugan at kaligtasan kung kaya’t kailangan natin ng mas kungkretong paraan kung paano haharapin ang new normal. Dapat better ang new normal,” Pangilinan said. 

“Paano natin mababawasan ang banta ng COVID-19 para sa lahat ng ating mga frontliners, kasama na ang mga kapulisan? If this is our new normal, there has to be a better normal. Paigtingin pa lalo ang contact tracing lalo na sa lokal. The government was given the resources to do exactly that, and we expect them to follow through,” he added.

The Philippine National Police has reported a total of 3,669 COVID-19 cases in the police force as of August 26. The country has exceeded 200,000 COVID-19 cases on the same day.