NCRPO wants more cops, SAF commandos for quarantine checkpoints

MANILA, Philippines —  The National Capitan Region Police Office (NCRPO) will be requesting additional police officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters and the Special Action Force (SAF) to help it man checkpoints with the extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15.

NCRPO chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas said the police personnel who are manning the quarantine control points (QCPs) across Metro Manila need to be replenished as they have been on duty for more than a month now.

“Wala po kaming pagbabago kundi dadagdagan namin ng tao. Mag-uusap ulit kami ng SAF and Army na humingi ng tulong sa kanila kung pwede magdagdag ng tao para po mareplenish yung mga tao sa mga QCPs namin kasi naka isa’t kalahating buwan na sila,” Sinas said in an online press conference when asked about NCRPO’s plan during the lockdown extension.

(We don’t have changes except we will add more troops. We are negotiating with SAF and Army to help to replenish our policemen who are at QCPs for more than one month.)

“So ki-no-coordinate ko kay PNP Chief (Gen. Archie Gamboa) kung pwede dagdagan kami para irelief in place yung mga tao namin sa kasi isat’t kalahting buwan sila. ‘Yung karamihan diyan di pa nauwi,” he added.

(So we are coordinating with the PNP chief if he can add more police officers to relief in place our troops because they have been on duty for more than one month. Most of them have not been home.)

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the ECQ will be extended until May 15 in the National Capital Region, Northern Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and in other high-risk areas in Luzon.

Meanwhile, Sinas said all police districts in Metro Manila have set up their respective custodial facilities for the detention of arresting ECQ violators.

“Kanya kanyang local po ito kagaya ng MPD (Manila Police District) may nakitang gym na ‘dun dadalhin yung mga nahuhuli nila. Yung kanya kanyang estasyon, kanya kanyang bigay po ito,”

Detention facilities in every police district will also be showing quarantine violators video information on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Sinas said.

“May dala silang video na papanoorin ng iba’t ibang violators about COVID-19 related awareness. Lahat ng stations may identified na custodial facility,” he said.

(They have videos about COVID-19 related videos that will be shown to violators. Every station has an identified custodial facility.)

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa previously ordered that lockdown violators no longer be warned but arrested and face inquest proceedings.

/MUF