PNP readies for possible extension of Luzon quarantine

April 6, 2020

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the Administrative Support to CoVid-19 Operations Task Force (ASTF) was created in “preparation for a possible extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, and management of local health emergency in other areas”.

The quarantine, announced on March 16 by President Rodrigo Duterte to curb the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is set to end April 14. Key government officials were meeting Monday to decide if the quarantine should be extended.

“We are preparing our optimum and efficient management, distribution and utilization of resources and supply chain for the long haul,” Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said in a statement.

Gamboa named  Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, PNP deputy chief for administration as Task Force Commander with  Major General Cesar Hawthorne Binag, chief of the PNP directorial staff as Assistant Task Force Commander.

Directors from eight PNP Directorial Staff Offices were designated as members of the ASTF who will oversee administrative requirements within the ield of their directorates.

These directorial staff officials will compose the five functional task groups under ASTF.

These are personnel support assigned to supervise deployment, reserve forces and legal support; second is logistical support to oversee requirements for transportation, PPE, decontamination facilities, food supply, communication requirements and test kits; third is financial support to ensure timely provision of financial support to implement activities of ASTF in support of JTF CV Shield; fourth is health management and medical reserve force to address health-related issues in the operations of JTF CV Shield and provide realtime monitoring of status of PNP personnel affected by COVID-19; and last is contact tracing  to ensure timely and efficient contact tracing of PNP personnel confirmed or suspected to be infected.

“Among administrative actions earlier implemented by the PNP were adjustments in the deployment of personnel to frontline operations to protect families of PNP personnel, processing of hazardous duty pay to police frontliners, and the 30-day suspension of loan payments by PNP personnel to accredited private financial institutions and lending houses,” Gamboa said. Ella Dionisio/DMS