PNP eyes 'low risk' tasks for unvaxxed cops

MANILA – Unvaccinated police officers will only be reassigned to perform other tasks to reduce their risk of getting infected with coronavirus, the country's top cop said on Monday.

"So gagawan namin ng paraan na (We will find a way where) they are still delivering their services but we will not allow them to be exposed. At the same time kasi kapag unvaccinated sila, ilagay namin sila sa QCP (quarantine control point) medyo delikado (if they are unvaccinated, it would be a bit dangerous if we put them at quarantine control points). So we will put them in a place probably take an (administrative) role or they can still do the job for us," Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Carlos said they cannot allow unvaccinated personnel to be excused from work as this would put the government at a disadvantage.

"So ganun yung aming sistema kasi lugi naman ho ang gobyerno ang taumbayan kung (it is unfair for the government and the people) because it is their choice not to be vaccinated and yet they are not delivering services. Marami po kaming trabaho na maaari nilang gawin na hindi naman po sila ma-expose to danger (We have a lot of tasks that they can do that will not expose them to danger) because they are unvaccinated," he added.

Carlos said this will be included in a memorandum circular that will be issued in the coming days regarding the matter.

He added that vaccination status will not affect the promotion of a police officer.

"Wala namang requirement sa promotion and schooling na hindi pwede kapag unvaccinated ka (There is no vaccination requirement for promotion and schooling) so we will not do that. Vaccination is not anymore a matter of personal choice, but a matter of public interest for the common good. We do not want to put them at risk,” he stressed.

Based on the latest data, 212,080 personnel of the 93.98 percent of the police force have been fully vaccinated while 11,788 or 5.22 percent have received their first dose.

Meanwhile, some 1,808 personnel or 0.80 percent remain unvaccinated.

Carlos, however, said they will still continue encouraging unvaccinated personnel to get jabbed by providing them more helpful information about its benefits.

Meanwhile, PNP Health Service director, Brig. Gen. Luisito Magnaye, said most personnel remain unvaccinated due to medical reasons.

“Out of that number, medical reasons are 299, 194 due to allergies, 393 were pregnant, 63 lactating mothers, 69 due to religious beliefs, nine were under quarantine. The rest have other reasons but they have yet to give it,” Magnaye said.

As of Monday, the number of active cases of Covid-19 in the PNP dipped to 35, with only three new infections recorded.

This is a significant drop in the number of active cases in over two months after the PNP logged a peak of 3,217 active cases last September 17.

The police force also logged nine new recoveries, raising the tally to 42,053 out of a total of 42,213 confirmed cases.

The death toll stands at 125. (PNA)

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https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161903
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