748 police officers secure over 18K individuals in quarantine hotels

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 748 police officers are securing over 18,000 individuals in 270 quarantine hotels, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said on Wednesday.

This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the deployment of two Philippine National Police (PNP) officers per quarantine hotel following a returning overseas Filipino skipping her quarantine.

“There are 270 hotels that are currently occupied. And we assigned 748 PNP personnel to all of 270 hotels,” Malaya told INQUIRER.net in a text message, noting that in other hotels there are three deployed police officers because they have a bigger size.

“Sa kabuuan po, 18,562 na mga quarantined individuals ang ngayon ay sine-secure ng ating mga kapulisan which totals 748,” he said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(In total, 18,562 quarantined individuals are being secured by the 728 police officers.)

The PNP likewise put up help desks in 247 quarantine facilities.

Other quarantine facilities without the PNP help desk already have a Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Department of Tourism (DOT) help desks in place.

“Others have BOQ/OWWA/DOT help desks already. We don’t want to duplicate what they’re already doing,” Malaya answered when asked why only 247 quarantine hotels have PNP help desks.

EDV