28 BFP-Western Visayas personnel relieved over Boracay party
DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the relief of 28 Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Western Visayas personnel for breaching health protocols.
The BFP personnel reportedly had a despedida party in Boracay over the weekend. They stayed in a hotel from June 12 to 14 supposedly to attend a seminar, but officials found out that the group held a “despedida” party for one of their colleagues.
It was also later found out that one of the 28 personnel tested positive for the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“They were just relieved of their current positions. They are placed in floating status while undergoing investigation,” said Año.
Earlier, the DILG chief sacked the head of the BFP-Western Visayas, Fire Senior Superintendent Roderick Aguto, pending the investigation on the incident.
The BFP head office has created a Special Investigation Task Force to conduct a probe particularly on the extent of participation of each involved personnel. The investigation will be led by Fire Chief Superintendent Roel Jeremy Diaz.
Año said the female BFP-Western Visayas officer who tested positive for coronavirus was formerly assigned in Cebu and arrived at the BFP headquarters in Iloilo on June 5.
She was subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing the next day and supposedly, she should undergo home quarantine for the next 14 days.
"The officer is really a PUI or a PUM (person under investigation or person under monitoring), that’s why she was subjected to testing. She did not wait for the quarantine to finish or even wait for the result of the PCR test and then she violated the quarantine period and her seniors or authorities tolerated it," Año said.
He added that a total of 197 people have been placed under quarantine, including the 28 BFP personnel, 24 staff members of the hotel where they stayed, and the boatmen who ferried them to and from the island. (SunStar Philippines)