Legislator: Security aides should undergo basic life-saving courses

SECURITY aides of government officials should undergo basic life-saving courses such as, rescue, first aid, and other emergency action for additional protection of public officials, a lawmaker said.

Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano said the tragic death of Secretary Jesse Robredo in a plane crash last Saturday highlighted the preparedness of security aides and other close-in staff of public officials during emergency situations.

Robredo's security aide, Senior Inspector June Paolo Abrazado, was the lone survivor in the plane crash off the Masbate waters last August 18.

"It helps a lot if knowledge, skills and confidence in basic rescue techniques are imparted on security aides whose training is mainly about protective security of public officials. This basic life-saving training should include water safety like saving a drowning person, first aid, and even basic life support like the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR," said Albano.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Representative Winston Castelo urged the House of Representatives to express what he termed "the collective sense of gratitude" to the foreign and local divers and other volunteer groups, which had participated in the search, recovery and retrieval operations.

Castelo authored House Resolution 2696, which described the retrieval operations under the "Task Force Kalihim" as a demonstration of "the universal spirit of unity and oneness" among the volunteer divers and groups.

Castelo specified as worthy of distinction and gratitude the participating British, Korean, and American divers and divers from the Philippine Navy, officials from the Philippine Coast Guard and Masbate local government, officials of the "Task Force Kalihim," Armed Force of the Philippines and Department of Defense, among others. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)