GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The city government has requested for the deployment of more police personnel from the Police Regional Office-12 (PRO-12) to enhance the implementation of the control measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the area.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said on Wednesday they asked for the augmentation from PRO-12 regional director Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria in the wake of the continuing surge of Covid-19 cases in various communities.
He said the additional personnel will mainly assist the enforcement of the minimum health protocols in public areas as well as the operations of the city’s eight police stations.
“We need their help considering that some of our police stations were also affected by Covid-19,” he said in a press conference.
Rivera cited the recent outbreak of Covid-19 in at least three city police stations that led to their temporary closure for several days.
He said the city police office has been doing its best to properly implement the prevailing health protocols and community quarantine measures, but the movements of its personnel have been limited due to the situation.
The city police had activated at least 29 quarantine control points in parts of the city’s 26 barangays to facilitate the proper implementation of the current general community quarantine (GCQ) measures.
These include the restriction on non-essential movements, market day schedule, barangay clustering, and curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Col. Gilberto Tuzon, city police director, said the PRO-12 earlier deployed some 32 police personnel under the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-12 to the city but their assignment will expire Wednesday, June 30.
He said they already requested their regional office to allow the unit to remain in the area, with the extension of the city’s GCQ status until July 30.
The police official assured that their strict enforcement activities will continue through the expanded foot and mobile patrols along with elements from the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan and over 200 barangay peacekeeping volunteers.
Source: Philippines News Agency
