Philippine National Police chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said Thursday that the Police Station 3 commanded in Quezon City had been relieved after he deployed cops with pending COVID-19 test results to President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.
Eleazar said administrative relief was given to Police Station 3 commander Lieutenant Colonel Cristine Tabdi due to command responsibility.
“In view of the apparent breach of protocol when most of these PNP personnel were deployed for SONA duties even if they were still waiting for their RT-PCR results, I have already ordered the administrative relief of the Station Commander, Police Station 3 of the QCPD, for command responsibility,” he said.
Eighty-two policemen from the Talipapa police station of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, and 51 of them were found to have been deployed at the SONA on Monday even though their swab test results were not yet released.
According to the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, 161 police officers of the station were swab tested on Friday.
It is said that the contact trace of those who met the police who watched the SONA protest was a problem.
QCPD station commander relieved after ‘COVID-19 suspects’ deployment during SONA
“Test was made July 23, SONA was July 26… Alam natin nakapuwesto sila sa UP Technohub at UP Kinetics,” said QCPD director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra.
When Yarra was asked why the police were deployed even before the results of their swab test came out: “They are fully vaccinated,” the chief reasoned.
The PNP chief said they are still waiting for the COVID-19 test result of 167 PNP personnel.
“This should serve as a reminder to all our commanders to exercise prudence and to strictly abide with our existing protocols amid the serious threat of COVID-19, especially with the rising number of infection from the Delta variant,” he said.
He lamented “unnecessary and insensitive” comments on cops who tested positive for COVID-19, saying he was “hurt and offended.”
Eleazar also reminded that the police officers also are Filipinos and have families who are worrying about their health.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.