Only 93 out of 107 policemen from Regions 6 and 8 can go home

Ferro: 3 of 14 augmented cops are infected with virus, 11 others are direct contacts, placed in isolation

The augmented police personnel from Regions 6 and 8 gather in the Cebu City Sports Center this Monday morning, August 31, 2020 for their send-off ceremony. | Alven Marie Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Only 93 out of the 107 augmented policemen from Regions 6 and 8 will be able to go back to their posts this evening, August 31, 2020.

This, after three personnel — one from Region 8 and two from Region 6 — tested positive of the COVID-19 during their mandatory swab testing last week, while the 11 others were direct contacts who ended up in isolation as well.

In the send-off ceremony for the augmented troops this morning, August 31, 2020, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, said that they could not allow the personnel to be sent back without recovering first.

“We will take care of them until they fully recover, and we will send them. We will secure the other personnel that will be left behind…We need to be sure that those who will be sent back will be COVID-free and strong so that we will not be adding problems to their respective units,” said Ferro.

Ferro assured that the remaining personnel would be taken care of and would be sent back healthy.

With the recall of the augmented personnel, Ferro said that the Crisis Response Battalion (CRB) and newly graduated police trainees would be added to secure the posts left behind by the augmented personnel and to be able to maintain the security measures set up to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Ferro, during his speech, expressed his gratitude to the presence of the augmented force that had helped improve COVID-19 status of the city.

He assured that should Regions 6 and 8 would need help, the PRO-7 would also be willing to provide augmentation to return the favor./dbs