By Jennifer P. Rendon
Additional policemen have been deployed to Iloilo City after it was placed under a stricter quarantine status.
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 said it had beefed up personnel of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) to enforce protocols and guidelines under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status.
On Sunday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID) approved Iloilo City government’s recommendation that it be reverted to MECQ beginning May 23, 2021 until May 31, 2021 because of rising COVID-19 cases.
Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, Western Visayas police chief, said that 200 officers reported to the ICPO headquarters on Monday. They will form part of PRO-6’s augmentation forces.
Miranda ordered 300 more personnel to augment Iloilo City.
“As promised, I will be giving more personnel to augment Iloilo City to ensure that minimum health standards and guidelines under the MECQ status are properly implemented,” Miranda said.
The 200 personnel who reported on Monday are from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 (RMFB-6) while the 300 additional personnel are fresh graduates from the basic course who are programmed to undergo the Field Training Program (FTP.)
The 500 personnel will be placed under the operational control of ICPO.
They will be deployed to the different units in ICPO while the city is under the MECQ status.