ILOILO City – Because policemen have the basic investigation skills and can easily be mobilized, they play an essential role in contact tracing to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), said Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
More than 1,000 policemen across Region 6 underwent contact tracing seminars to help concerned government agencies in tracing those who have contact with COVID-19 patients.
The first two seminars were conducted on Aug. 20 and Aug. 27. The third was held yesterday with police personnel from Negros Occidental as participants.
The national police headquarters wanted the local police to be more involved in the campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19 other than manning quarantine control points, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson.
A total of 1,011 policemen participated in the seminars conducted by the PRO-6 Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, and local government units.
Contact tracing is a valuable strategy in the prevention and eventually cutting-off of the COVID-19 infection, stressed Pamuspusan.
“I want results. Even if the Philippine National Police is just a member in the contact tracing effort and the Department of Health is the lead agency, the police must be the most active member of the composite team by providing transportation to ease travel during the course of contact tracing, and must communicate with barangays on updates or whereabouts of persons being monitored,” said Pamuspusan./PN
