Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said Monday they could easily trace the repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who escaped from the quarantine facility.
Eleazar said in an interview with Dobol B sa News TV, the information they took from the OFWs before they were put under quarantine is enough to identify and track them.
“Sigurado naman na ang ating unit commander on the ground ay nakipag-coordinate na sa mga ahensyang iyan para mahanap itong sinasabing tumakas,” he said.
(I think our unit commander on the ground has coordinated with the agencies to find those who allegedly flee.)
“Siguradong nakuha na ang basic information niyan at ang ating pulis naman po ay naka-deploy anywhere in the Philippines. Madali nating mahahanap ‘yan sa pakikipag-coordinate sa mga ahensyang ito,” he added.
(Maybe they gathered their necessary information, and our police are deployed anywhere in the Philippines. We can easily find them as we coordinate with these agencies.)
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Repatriated OFWs escape from quarantine facilities
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo reported on Sunday that some OFWs tested positive for COVID-19 escaped from quarantine facilities.
“May mga nakatakas sa mga hotel na ‘yan at ang masama nito, lumabas ang results na positive sila. Ngayon nandoon na sila sa bahay nila. Nakahalubilo ang pamilya, ‘yung community,” Balilo said.
(Some escaped from these hotels and, unfortunately, the results came out positive. Now they are at their house. They had contact with their families, with the community.)
Balilo said the OFWs might be charged for violating the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
“Iho-hold kung sakali eventually dahil may vina-violate siguro sila dito sa Heal as One protocol. May balak po na sampahan ng kaso. Iimbestigahan po namin kung sino ‘yung mga kasabwat nitong tumakas na hotel personalities,” he added.
(They will be put on hold eventually because they may have violated the Heal as One protocol. There is a plan to file a case. We will investigate who are the accomplices of these fleeing hotel personalities.)
PCG commandant Admiral Joel Garcia earlier reported up to 18,000 OFWs were stranded in Metro Manila as local government units in their home provinces refused to accept them amid the coronavirus threat.