Sinas: LGUs, barangay officials must tell cops names, location of COVID-19 patients

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila police chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas on Tuesday ordered police chiefs to report local government units and barangay officials who fail to disclose the names and location of COVID-19 positive residents.

This as Sinas stressed concealing the identities and residence of COVID-19 positive persons from the police could hamper the effective enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine protocols.

“Ang nangyari ‘yung ibang mga city o ibang barangay ayaw ibigay ‘yung pangalan kung sino nag-positive, at ‘di binigay location. Sabi ko kailangan humingi kayo dahil police ang nag-i-implement ng quarantine,” Sinas said in a press briefing at the Kamuning Police Station.

(What happened was some cities or barangays won’t divulge the name of COVID-19 positive persons, even their locations. I said they must get such information because it’s the police that’s implementing the quarantine.)

“Kung barangay captain walang pakialam, ‘yun ang challenge sa amin. Inatasan ko chief of police to start documenting, kung ayaw ng captain eh ‘di i-document natin para ‘di lang police sinisisi,” he added.

(If the barangay captain does not care, that is the challenge for us. I have directed the chief of police to start documenting this situation in their areas. If the barangay captain doesn’t want to reveal then we document them so that police will not be the only ones to blame.)

Sinas warned that if barangay officials won’t disclose information, a person diagnosed with the coronavirus disease might  leave their house and infect other residents.

The top Metro Manila police official said even persons under investigation for possible coronavirus disease infection must not be allowed to leave their homes.

Information from barangay officials about COVID-19 positive people would help police officers on setting up hot zones and intensified quarantine areas to keep patients in their homes and contain the spread of the disease, Sinas noted.

KGA