The Philippine National Police (PNP) declared that they are ready to assist to ensure the speedy transportation of COVID-19 vaccines to various provinces, according to PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar.
“We are ready to provide assistance so that COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered immediately to provinces and municipalities outside Metro Manila,” PGen. Eleazar assured.
He said that part of the preparation is to place the floating assets of the PNP Maritime Group and the helicopters of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) on standby for possible use in the transportation of vaccines.
“Bilang tugon sa direktiba ng ating SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) Eduardo Año, inatasan ko ngayon ang Maritime Group at ang Special Action Force na ihanda ang mga PNP speedboat at helicopter upang magamit sa pagdadala ng mga bakuna sa mga isla at mga malalayong lugar para sa ating mga kababayan,” said PGen, Eleazar.
“I also directed all commanders to prepare all the vehicles that could be used and to prepare deployment and security plan for our personnel who would assist in the transportation of vaccines and in securing vaccination sites,” he added.
The PNP Maritime Group has almost 200 floating assets that could be readily deployed to transport COVID-19 vaccines.
The SAF, on the other hand, said that it is ready to use four of the seven helicopters for this purpose. The three other PNP helicopters are currently under three-week preventive maintenance.
The PNP is among the agencies tasked by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure the speedy delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines after President Rodrigo Duterte directed it to supervise their safe transport and proper handling in view of reports of wastage.
“Ang inyong PNP ay patuloy na nakikipag-ugnayan sa DOH (Department of Health), AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) at lahat ng concerned agencies for a well-coordinated and quick delivery of vaccines across the country. Makakaasa po kayo sa bente-kuwatro oras na serbisyo ng inyong PNP para mapabilis ang minimithing herd immunity,” said PGen. Eleazar.
He also assured that the PNP would be up to the task of safely transporting and distributing the COVID-19 jabs.
According to Eleazar, “Sa simula pa lamang po ng rollout ng bakuna sa ating bansa, nagkaroon na po ng mga simulation exercises at workshops ang ating kapulisan sa transportasyon at distribusyon ng COVID-19 vaccines.”
(Photo credit: PNP-PIO)