Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The top official of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) defended his suggestion to tap ordinary Cebu City citizens in aiding the city’s contact tracing efforts.
In a press statement, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of PRO – 7, said his suggestion was intended to maximize the cooperation from the community in detecting possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
“The fight against COVID-19 is not only the responsibility of the police, military, LGUs (local government units), health workers and government but a responsibility of all Filipinos,” said Ferro.
Read: Ferro: COVID-19 should be a concern of every Filipino
Ferro also said the more appropriate term on his plan should be “magpakabana brigade” instead of “tsismoso brigade.” Magpakabana in Cebuano means to get involved or actively participate in something.
“The fight against COVID-19 should be everyone’s concern. Having an information brigade will form a human CCTV (closed-circuit television) against COVID-19,” he added.
The PRO – 7 director raised the idea of employing the help of individuals in a neighborhood into their contact tracing initiatives.
Read: ‘Chismosas’ helpful in contact tracing, says PRO-7 chief
His suggestion was dubbed as “tsismoso brigade” and has received nationwide attention. Netizens were mixed on Ferro’s plans.
Presently, the police will be conducting seminars for village watchmen, volunteers, and security managers and personnel from Cebu City’s malls to do contact tracing. /bmjo