BY AARON RECUENCO
Police Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, chief of the Philippine National Police, called on all groups planning to conduct relief operations in the Bicol region to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to ensure that the minimum health safety standards against COVID-19 are observed.
Cascolan said coordination would also make relief missions more systematic since all of them would be governed by the existing protocols being observed on the local level.
“Of course, we should follow the anti-COVID protocols. Wearing of face mask or face shields, use of alcohol, and social distancing must be automatic,” said Cascolan.
“When you go to Bicol or to other places for relief operations, it is best to coordinate so that we will all be systematic. You should not go there without coordination because the tendency is for the people to gather during relief distribution so coordination is needed so that the safety measures would be observed,” he added.
Cascolan made the statement amid criticisms that President Duterte did not observe minimum health safety standards when he visited Guinobatan, Albay during an inspection of typhoon “Rolly” damage when he removed his face mask while talking to some people.
As of Wednesday, more than 61, 000 individuals are still staying in various evacuation centers in the Bicol region. All of them lost their homes to strong winds, flashflood, and lahar.
Three-hundred houses in two barangays in Guinobatan were buried under lahar and boulders that cascaded down the slopes of the Mayon Volcano during the onslaught of Rolly.
the possible apprehension of the suspects,” said Rodriguez.
The fatalities were killed by unidentified gunmen armed with M16 rifles on the national highway in Barangay Poblacion.
As volunteers, they are helping local police and the military in enforcing quarantine rules in Buluan, particularly on the entry of people in the town.
“The victims sustained multiple wounds that caused their instantaneous death, while one wounding person was brought to the nearest hospital. The unidentified suspects immediately fled to an unknown direction,” said Rodriguez.
