PNP civilian staff at Camp Crame to work from home amid virus cases surge

MANILA, Philippines — Non-uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were advised Wednesday to work from home due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region.

“In consultation with our Chief, PNP, Police General Debold M Sinas, I have approved the adoption of a modified work arrangement that includes work-from-home, for our non-uniformed personnel assigned at the (National Headquarters) at Camp Crame,” said PNP officer in charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

All heads of offices were directed to assess how to implement the new work arrangement “without compromising their respective offices’ administrative works and outputs.”

The new work arrangement would be applied only to personnel at Camp Crame. Regional offices are given the discretion to decide whether they would implement it.

Eleazar said there is an ongoing evaluation of alternative work arrangements for uniformed personnel. However, he said this would be difficult because of the nature of their job.

“Aside from our regular law enforcement duties, we are also engaged in other functions that include the enforcement of the quarantine protocols such as the recent implementation of the uniform curfew hours in Metro Manila,” he said.

The PNP is also looking at ways to hold activities that would lessen the risk of infection among participants.

“I would like to reiterate the instruction to the units concerned to limit the visits in offices and quartering units at NHQ to work-related or in the exercise of official functions only,” Eleazar said.

They are also awaiting recommendations on whether they would adjust the number of clients availing of frontline services at PNP’s National Headquarters (NHQ) such as securing police clearance, renewing permits, and other transactions.

Eleazar said the PNP saw a rise in COVID-19 cases among its personnel recently. Last week, PNP chief Sinas himself tested positive for the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes respiratory illness COVID-19.

READ: PNP records 34th death from COVID-19

Because of the increasing number of new infections, Kiangan Building was included as a quarantine facility. But Eleazar said they are also looking at other buildings and facilities.

KGA