Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17) — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has relieved the regional director of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Region 6, after the reported breach of quarantine protocols by one of its personnel.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday that F/SSupt. Roderick P. Aguto has been relieved while investigation is ongoing.
“We will never tolerate any wrongdoing by our BFP personnel or any other DILG personnel for that matter because lives are at stake here,” Año said in a statement.
“Panahon ng pandemya ngayon at hindi puwede ang mga palusot. [We are in a pandemic now and we won’t allow excuses.],” he also said. “Moreover, as law enforcers, we must set a good example to our people and the breach of quarantine protocols sets a very bad example.”
F/SSupt. Jerry D. Candido, who serves as director for Logistics of BFP-National Headquarters (BFP NHQ), was appointed Officer-in-Charge of BFP-6, the DILG added.
According to the DILG, a female employee from BFP-6 who underwent a RT-PCR testing was reported to be roaming around Boracay Island while waiting for her results, which later turned out to be positive.
The positive result came out on June 14, by which time it was found that she had close exposure to her two colleagues, the report said.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said on Wednesday that those who came in close contact with the infected staffer are now under quarantine, while the BFP Regional Office in Western Visayas is now conducting swab testing among its employees.
The DILG said 196 personnel have undergone coronavirus testing as of Tuesday, with 28 personnel subjected to RT-PCR testing and advised to undergo quarantine pending results.
“Alam po ninyo, hindi madali itong [You know, it’s not easy doing] contact tracing,” Año said. “To be careless on the part of public safety officers in this time of pandemic is utterly deplorable.”
The BFP-6 Regional Office, its provincial offices, and fire stations are now under lockdown and advised to observe strict disinfection and sanitation efforts.
Año directed BFP Chief Jose Embang to immediately investigate the matter and to submit the results of the investigation to his office.
“A Special Investigation Task Group of the BFP NHQ has been directed to investigate fire personnel of BFP-6 and her 27 other co-workers whom she had exposure to or close contact with,” Malaya said.
“Titiyakin po natin ang medical needs ng mga fire personnel na ito na maaaring na-expose sa COVID-19 subalit mananagot din sila sa anumang maging resulta ng imbestigasyon nila na ipinag-utos ni Secretary Año kaugnay sa posibleng naging kapabayaan,” he stressed.
[Translation: We will address the medical needs of these fire personnel who may have been exposed to COVID-19 but they will also be held accountable based on results of the investigation ordered by Secretary Año, regarding possible negligence.]
This is not the first time a government official was reported to have breached quarantine protocols pending COVID-19 results.
In March, a similar incident occurred when Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III accompanied his wife, Kathryna, who was about to give birth to their first child to Makati Medical Center despite having been tested for COVID-19.
Results later confirmed that he did contract the disease and potentially exposed a number of health workers at the hospital, as well as staff at supermarket S&R in Bonifacio Global City, which the senator also visited.
