Labella okays swab testing for Cebu City cops

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has agreed to make all policemen who are assigned in the city to undergo swab testing to check on their health conditions.

In a radio interview this morning, April 28, 2020, Labella said that he already directed the City Health Department (CHD) to especially give priority to policemen who are showing Influenza-Like Symptoms (ILI) and those who are deployed in barangays with positive cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Labella said that testing is also in response to a request made by Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), who has expressed worry about the health condition of his subordinates.

In a teleconference this morning, Ferro expressed appreciation for Labella’s decision to order for the swab testing of all city police.

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro

“That’s our plan to see to it that our frontliners are healthy and para dili sila ma expose sa danger and I would like to see to it that they are perfectly well para magpadayon sila sa pag perform sa ilang task,” said Ferro.

(That’s our plan to see to it that our frontliners are healthy so that they will not be exposed to danger and I would like to see to it that they are perfectly well so that they can continue to perform their assigned tasks.)

But in the event that there is limited supply for the testing kits, Ferro said, he wanted those with ILIs to be prioritized.  The testing of other policemen can be made when the supply of test kits is replenished.

“I believe the economy of resources will be applied so that we could utilize, optimize the resources that is on hand… Those that needed the test should be given priority kanang mga symptomatic so that we will know what medical response should be given,” added Ferro.

On Friday, 12 policemen who were assigned to secure Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz were already made to undergo swab tests.  But their test results remain unavailable.

Ferro said that he could only hope that the 12 remains COVID-free so that they could continue to render service to the Cebuanos. / dcb