SAF troops a huge help in COVID response in Cebu City–Cimatu

Secretary Roy Cimatu, the IATF implementer in Cebu, and retired general Mel Feliciano, the deputy implementor of the IATF in Cebu, grace the send-off ceremony for SAF personnel in Cebu. CDN Digital photo | Alven Marie Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The presence of troops from the Special Action Force (SAF) was a huge boost in Cebu City’s drive against the spread of COVID-19.

This is what Secretary Roy Cimatu, overseer of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) in Cebu, revealed in an interview on Tuesday morning, August 11, 2020, during the send-off ceremony for the elite troops who were sent to Cebu City to help out with the implementation of health protocols in the city last June.

“They [SAF] are group of professionals. They are group of disciplined personnel and they imparted whatever the orders given them and we are very fortunate that the number of cases dropped. So I had to attribute it openly to them [SAF],” said Cimatu.

Read: SAF troops in Cebu City to return to HQ COVID-free

Cimatu also said that coordination and proper execution of the plans from the highest in-charge persons down to the implementers also helped greatly with the decrease of cases in the city.

He said that even when they had the best plans, if it was not properly imposed in the barangay and sitio level, the chances of success was lower.

“Kung maganda ang plano, maganda ang pag execute ng mga barangay captains, sitios, purok leaders, ay talagang ito yung sekreto… Sabi ko sa kanila na alam ko you belong to different political groups but at this time our enemy is the COVID. We have to work as one. Nagawa natin yan dito,” said Cimatu.

(If the plan is good, the execution from the village chiefs, sub village leaders is also good. This is the secret [to success]. I told them that I know you belong to different political groups but at this time, our enemy is the COVID. We have to work as one. And we were able to do that here.)

Cimatu, together with the other IATF officials, will be meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss on the latest updates on the situation in Cebu City. After the meeting, he said he will be making a decision on what his recommendation will be for the next quarantine classification of the city. /bmjo