By Jennifer P. Rendon
Fifty down, more to go.
Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) personnel who underwent swab testing were negative for COVID-19.
The 50 IPPO personnel assigned to its headquarters in Camp Sumagaysay, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo were the first batch of personnel to undergo real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Police Colonel Paul Kenneth Lucas, Iloilo Police chief, said the Department of Health Region 6 released the report on Aug 17.
“We take the negative result positively. This is a good start for us, as we seek to have all our personnel undergo the RT-PCR test,” he said.
Lucas said the second batch composed of 56 personnel including him, had their swab samples taken on August 19.
The third and last batch, will undergo the same test in a few days.
Given the result of the 50 personnel, “we hope that all other personnel will have similar result,” he said.
Lucas underscored the importance of having police personnel go through COVID-19 test.
“Determining the health status of our policemen is crucial because we are engaging with the community 24/7,” he said.
As such, he added “it is important that we know our health status.”
Relatedly, Lucas already wrote a letter to local chief executives in the province to support the effort by subjecting their local police to RT-PCR test.
LOCKDOWN
Earlier, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has ordered the lockdown on Igbaras and Miagao Municipal Police Stations effective Aug 12 and 16, respectively.
The lockdown followed the release of RT-PCR results showing that two personnel of the said stations were positive for COVID-19.
Both officers are asymptomatic and under monitoring at the quarantine facility of Miagao and Igbaras LGU.
Meanwhile, Iloilo PPO sent augmentation personnel to Miagao and Igbaras to carry out basic police functions while members of the said stations are on quarantine.
Lucas assured that the PNP is in control of the situation, especially in the maintenance of peace, order and security.
“Rest assured that despite the lockdown, the police stations in your areas are still business as usual,” Lucas said.
While waiting for the RT-PCR results, personnel of the two police stations would have to stay inside their station for quarantine.
“When the result comes, and hopefully they are all negative of Covid-19, our personnel will resume their functions even before the end of 14 days,” he said.
With more personnel to be tested for Covid-19, the Iloilo police chief could only hope no additional cop would contract the virus.
“We cannot afford that another police station will be paralyzed because its member is infected with the virus,” he said.
As per directive from the PNP national headquarters, PNP members who are tested negative can resume their regular duty after the release of the results.
“We can’t wait for the 14-day quarantine period to end. Otherwise, our stations will be depleted,” Lucas said.
