90 CIDG members finish contact tracing training

August 16, 2020

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said 90 members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have completed their contact tracing training and seminar for individuals who have exposure with those positive for coronavirus disease.

In a radio interview, Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, said the CIDG personnel were trained by Baguio City Benjamin Magalong, the government’s contact tracing czar.

“Our contact tracing is now on going and this is led by our LGUs (local government units) including local health officials… everytime they ask for assistance we immediately help them,” said Banac.

“We already conducted initial training which was headed by our contact tracing czar, Mayor Benjie Magalong of Baguio City and a total of 90 personnel from CIDG finished their seminar,” he added.

Banac said the CIDG personnel will be deployed in different regional offices to help the local police stations and provide extra instruction on how they should conduct their contact tracing efforts.

“Based on the training of Mayor Magalong, they should be able to acquire 47 names that have contact (with COVID-19 positive) but that does not mean that is enough… whatever contacts we have, it is important that we are able to trace them all,” he said.

He reiterated that police will only assist the LGUs.

“We don’t want to cause fear to the people. The participation of the PNP is on the area of security,” he said,

Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa, PNP chief, is now at Baguio City for a meeting with Magalong about the peace and order situation in the area. Ella Dionisio/DMS