92 police trainees, training officers in Baguio contract COVID-19

MANILA, Philippine — A total of 92 police trainees and training officers in Baguio City have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Baguio City police said.

Baguio police chief Col. Allen Rae Co said Thursday that the police trainees were sent to Baguio in March for a six-month field training.

“As of yesterday, there are already 92. Isa pong nakakalungkot ay ito ‘yung mga kasama natin mismo noong pagsisimula ng pandemya,” Co said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo when asked about the number of police trainees in the city who have contracted the coronavirus.

(As of yesterday, there are already 92. What is saddening is they are the ones who were with us at the start of the pandemic.)

But later in the interview, he said that the figure also includes the training officers.

“Combination na ito ng police trainees at field training officers. Itong training officers natin, ito ‘yung mga senior natin na mga sergeants na sila ang naggagabay at nagtuturo sa mga bagong pulis,” he added.

(This is a combination of police trainees and field training officers. These training officers are senior officers with the rank of sergeant and who guide the new policemen.)

He could not yet provide the breakdown of police trainees and training officers from the number.

According to Co, they most likely have contracted the virus while deployed to the lockdown areas of Baguio.

Co added that the police trainees deployed in the city were supposed to graduate from the field training last Wednesday or this Thursday as they have already finished the six-month course.

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