PNP tasked to monitor SARS cases along with criminal gangs

The police will now track down not just criminals but also suspected SARS cases.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said yesterday that the PNP tracker teams engaged in the monitoring of criminal gangs will also be tasked to track down possible Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patients as the need arises.

"We have tracker teams against criminal elements. Because of SARS, we have to divert them momentarily to help us in the campaign against SARS," he said.

These tracker teams will be asked to conduct the necessary background check on relatives and neighbors who may have contracted the disease from SARS victims.

The PNP, he said, issued guidelines for its personnel last week as part of the PNP’s measures to counter the killer pneumonia after PNP chief Director Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered all regional and provincial police commanders to assist local government units (LGU) in their anti-SARS campaigns.

Since last week, Bataoil said, the PNP Health Service began disseminating information on how to detect and avoid SARS and gave out a list of hospitals designated to handle SARS cases.

Several leaflets on hygiene and how to deal with SARS have been distributed by PNP personnel.

Police personnel assigned to SARS-infected areas are also subject to quarantine measures, Bataoil said, adding that local police officers are not exempt from the quarantine measures implemented by government.

In fact, he said, "the PNP Health Service has been involved in giving out the operational guidelines, which include the four aspects (of disease control), namely: Prevention, monitoring, containment (and) information."

The PNP spokesman said at least 21 police personnel of the Regional Mobile Group detailed in Barangay Vacante, in Alcala town, Pangasinan were also monitored by local health officers to ensure that none of them was infected with SARS," Bataoil said.

This platoon of police personnel "was asked to undergo quarantine," he said. "I think it is incumbent upon local police officials to ensure that they are safe."