Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The top official of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) said that they will try to trace and identify the person who could have leaked online the incorrect memo from the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO)-Visayas.
The incorrect memo stated that Metro Cebu will be placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) a stricter form of quarantine, instead of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) which is more relaxed.
However, an internal investigation among DIPO personnel is no longer needed as they have already admitted their mistake over the matter, said Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, (PRO-7) director.
“Gi acknowledge nila nga gikan sa ilaha pero typo error. Nawala ang Modified, so ila na nga gi correct. Nagpadala na silag corrected copy,” Montejo said.
(They already acknowledged that it came from them but it was only a typo. The word Modified was not included and they already corrected it. They even provided us with a corrected copy.)
Montejo added that there was no malicious intent from the DIPO personnel as they have no purpose in changing the status of the community quarantine since the police have no authority over the matter.
Montejo, however, admitted that the error caused alarm and anxiety to the public.
“Ang message nga gipasabot gyud nila nga Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, mutabang sila og inspection pertaining didto sa mga nakadeploy nato nga personnel sa quarantine points,” Montejo added.
(The message that they want to relay on Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine was that they will help in conducting inspections with the deployed personnel in all quarantine points.)
Montejo said that the words “Enhanced Community Quarantine” might have been highlighted over its entire message hence the error.
The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Thursday also denied that Metro Cebu will be placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine and that it was only a typographical error from an internal memo from the police.
Montejo said that the DIPO personnel who made and signed the memo were already reprimanded. He vowed to trace who originally posted the incorrect memo online for possible sanctions for breaching the organization’s confidentiality rule.
READ: Tricities under MECQ, Cebu Province under GCQ with heightened restrictions until August 31