PNP-SAF Airbus H125 helicopter. Photo from PNP-SAF Air Unit
MANILA, Philippines — Following the directive from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed its boats and helicopters on standby to assist in the transport of COVID-19 vaccines to the country’s remote areas.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said floating assets of the PNP Maritime Group and helicopters under the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) are now on standby for deployment.
“Bilang tugon sa direktiba ng ating SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) Eduardo Año, inatasan ko ngayon ang Maritime Group at ang Special Action Force na ihanda ang mga PNP speedboat at helicopter upang magamit sa pagdadala ng mga bakuna sa mga isla at mga malalayong lugar para sa ating mga kababayan,” said Eleazar in a statement on Thursday.
(In response to the directive of our SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) Eduardo Año, I have now instructed the Maritime Group and the Special Action Force (SAF) to prepare PNP speedboats and helicopters to be used in delivering vaccines to islands and remote places for our countrymen.)
“I also directed all commanders to prepare all the vehicles that could be used and to prepare deployment and security plan for our personnel who would assist in the transportation of vaccines and in securing vaccination sites,” Guillermo added.
Eleazar said this is in response to the DILG’s order for the PNP to help bring COVID-19 vaccines to various provinces.
“We are ready to provide assistance so that COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered immediately to provinces and municipalities outside Metro Manila,” Guillermo said.
Eleazar bared that the PNP Maritime Group has almost 200 boats that could be readily deployed to transport the vaccines.
The SAF, on the other hand, is ready to deploy four of its seven Airbus H125 helicopters to assist in the delivery. The other three Airbus helicopters are under preventive maintenance for three weeks.
The DILG issued its directive came after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the agency to supervise the transport of COVID-19 vaccines to various parts of the country in his prerecorded public address last Tuesday.
Eleazar assured that the PNP is capable of safely transporting the vaccines, as the police force has started holding simulation exercises on how to transport and distribute the COVID-19 vaccines.