Task force says 150 SAF to be sent to Cebu to enforce ECQ

June 25, 2020

The Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Thursday said two companies of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) will be sent to Cebu City to assist in the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Police Lt. General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander, said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Archie Francisco Gamboa approved the deployment of 150 SAF personnel.

As of Wednesday, the Department of Health said COVID-19 cases in Cebu City reached 4,216 which is the highest in the country.

Eleazar said the deployment is necessary to compel residents from unnecessarily going out of their homes and wearing face masks when doing in essential tasks such as buying food supplies and medicines.

During Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and National Task Force Against COVID-19 officials visit to Cebu City, they saw people going out of their homes, not wearing face masks and  not observing physical distancing.

To strictly implement the ECQ rules, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he would send more policemen and soldiers to Cebu City soonest.

“Mobility assets of SAF will also be deployed in Cebu City that includes multi-purpose armored vehicles similar to what we used in the implementation of ECQ in Metro Manila,” said Eleazar.

“We have already coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the deployment of SAF personnel and their mobility assets,” he added.

Deploying the SAF, the elite force of the PNP,  has been proven effective in forcing residents of Metro Manila to stay in their houses when ECQ was declared on March 17.

SAF commandos are known to be strict in enforcing the quarantine rules.

Based on the JTF COVID Shield data, there was a significant decline of quarantine violators since SAF commandos were deployed in the National Capital Region during ECQ.

Eleazar said while soldiers were  deployed in Cebu City and nearby areas, the AFP’s Central Command (CentCom) under Lt. Gen. Roberto Ancan has committed more personnel and assistance to enforce ECQ in Cebu City.

“The CentCom is also using their air assets over Cebu City to check observance of physical distancing,” he said.

Police Maj. Gen. Amando Clifton Empiso, SAF director, expressed confidence that they would duplicate their Metro Manila success in ECQ implementation in Cebu City.

''I have full trust and confidence in my men in accomplishing the tasks given to them. This is our way of helping the people of Cebu City and nearby areas in their fight against COVID-19. And this is a way of showing the people of Cebu that we are with them in winning this battle,” Empiso said.

For his part, Police Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, Central Visayas regional pllice director and regional commander of the JTF COVID Shield, welcomed the deployment of SAF commandos and soldiers.

To facilitate coordination between police ground personnel,  JTF COVID Shield and PNP national leaderships, Eleazar said they will also be sending three senior officers from the PNP’s Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Visayas and PNP Directorate for Operations.

“These senior officers will serve as our link to closely supervise and assist in the ECQ implementation in Cebu City,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered that Cebu City revert to ECQ over alarming cases of coronavirus infections and deaths.  Ella Dionisio/DMS