No ‘time out’ for cops during MECQ enforcement — Gamboa

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will not call for a “time out” as there is enough police personnel to implement the protocols of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and other areas, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said Tuesday.

“Hindi pwedeng mag-time out ang PNP. We are not authorized to call for a time out in the PNP, we have to continue. Marami naman ang PNP. We are totaling to 209,000 so there are no reasons for us to call for a time out,” Gamboa said during a press conference at PNP Headquarters in Quezon City when asked if police officers will also call for a time out amid the surging numbers of coronavirus infections.

(The PNP cannot call for a time out. We are not authorized to call for a time out, we have to continue. We have a lot of personnel. We are totaling to 209,000, so there are no reasons for us to call for a time out.)

PNP is still implementing rotation among its troops deployed at checkpoints and anti-criminality operations during the strict quarantine to suppress the spread of COVID-19 infections, Gamboa said.

“Gaya ng sinabi ko, when we re-expose our troops, ang unang guideline ay dapat may proper PPEs (personal protective equipment). Second is observe rotation. Lahat ng units ng PNP may reserve forces. We have enough personnel,” the nation’s top cop said.

(As what I have said, when we re-expose our troops, they must first wear proper PPEs. Second observe rotation. All units of PNP have reserved forces. We have enough personnel.)

As of 6 p.m. of August 3, PNP has 2,283 total number of infected personnel with 11 fatalities and 1,251 recoveries. Of the total number of cases, Gamboa said 900 were from Metro Manila.

Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan returned to MECQ status after the government granted the appeal of medical frontliners to call for a time out and place a stricter lockdown for two weeks. The stricter quarantine takes effect from August 4 to August 18.

EDV