Tambuling Batangas Publication February 07-13, 2018 Issue | Page 5

OPINYON
Pebrero 07-13, 2018
Report cases of police abuse, Año
alleged abuses officers involved in anti-
tells public He made said by that
Philippine National illegal drugs operations will
MANILA -- Department
of the Interior and Local
Government
(DILG)
OIC Eduardo Año is
encouraging the public
to come forward and not
be afraid should there be
abuses by the policemen in
the conduct of anti-illegal
drugs operations.

“Wag po kayong
mag-atubili na i-report ang
mga pulis na umaabuso
sa kanilang tungkulin.
Sisiguruhin ko sa inyo na
masisibak sila sa tungkulin
kapag
napatunayang
nagkasala sila sa batas,” Año
said, following the release
of new police guidelines on
anti-illegal drug operations.
Police (PNP) personnel can
be reported directly to the
DILG field offices, National
Police
Commission
(NAPOLCOM), or to the
People’s Law Enforcement
Board (PLEB) nearest to
their location.

He said the DILG
and NAPOLCOM will
closely monitor the strict
adherence of the PNP to
the rule of law and the
new operational guidelines
during anti-drug operations.

We will keep a
close eye on the PNP’s
implementation of the new
guidelines to ensure that
allegations of human rights
violations against police
be a thing of the past, he
added.

“With the issuance
of these guidelines, we hope
that the police organization
will be ably guided as they
provide active support
to the Philippine Drug
Enforcement
Agency
(PDEA) in the anti-illegal
drugs campaign,” said
Año, who is also the
concurrent chairperson of
the Napolcom.
The
DILG
OIC explained that the
provisions of the newly
released PNP guidelines
have more weight and
demand accountability thus
the DILG and NAPOLCOM
by Philippine Information Agency
Parents, DOH has you covered
DEPARTMENT of Health
(DOH)
Secretary
Dr.
Francisco Duque III assured
parents
of
dengvaxia-
vaccinated students that
the agency has their backs
covered, during the recently
held Dengvaxia forum
and presscon, spearheaded
by the DOH, at Sta. Rosa
Central
3
Elementary
School last January 25.

“Ang ating pong
mga chief of hospital ay
inatasan ho natin na kung
may mga ma-ospital na
mga naturukan ay sasagutin
ng PhilHealth,” the DOH
secretary affirmed during
the forum with the parents,
students, and teachers of the
school.

He said it was
decided upon that the
Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation (PhilHealth)
will shoulder the expenses
in case any Dengvaxia-
vaccinated
child
gets
hospitalized
due
to
adverse event following
immunization (AEFI).
Moreso,
those
parents who are not
PhilHealth members will
be aided by DOH through
their Medical Assistance
Program, announced Sec.
Duque reassuring them,
“Huwag po kayong mag-
alala, sasagutin po ng
gobyerno
ang
inyong
pagpapa-ospital.”

He also pointed
out that the government
is conducting a 5-year
surveillance over the more
or less 4,000 school-based
and
community-based
immunized
individuals
within the CALABARZON
region.

One of the many
parents who were present in
the Dengvaxia Forum said
that this initiative of DOH to
reach out to them and assure
them that they can count on
the government, the DOH
in particular, in case hostile
effects of the administered
Dengvaxia vaccine manifest
in their children is somehow
a relief.
“Yung
assurance
na lang ang hinihingi
namin na kahit papaano
ay matulungan kami para
hindi naman kami laging
nag-aalala na kung ano
kayang mangyayari sa
mga anak namin, saka
isa pa yung mayroon
kaming malalapitan kung
halimbawang
nagkaroon
ang anak namin ng Dengue,”
Mrs. Rosita Balute, mother
of a Grade-6 boy vaccinated
with Dengvaxia, expressed
some sort of relief in
an interview after their
dialogue with the Secretary.
A
12-year
old
student named Andrea who
was also vaccinated with
Dengvaxia, found peace of
mind with the assurance that
DOH has given them. “Mas
mabuti po na nagkaroon
ng ganito (na dengvaxia
forum) para mas maunawan
po ng mga magulang,”
she said, expressing that
even she felt relieved
from the anxiety brought
about by countless news
on children’s deaths which
were apparently instigated
by the immunization shot.
She said she would gladly
bring the news to her mother
once she heads back home.
Dengue as a Threat
“May
Dengvaxia
o
walang
Dengvaxia,
ang banta ng Dengue ay
permanente na sa buhay
nang lahat ng Pilipino,”
will be proactive in ensuring
that these guidelines are
fulfilled with diligence.
“It is the cornerstone of a
successful campaign against
illegal drugs, especially if it
is met with the full support
and compliance from our
uniformed men in the PNP,”
he said.

The DILG chief
reiterated his call that double
salary means double time in
serving the people. “I am
demanding accountability
from our police officers.
With the salary increase,
they should shape up or ship
out.”

He added that the
100% increase in salaries
also means that the PNP
should double their efforts
in weeding out the bad eggs
in the police organization.
Among
the
coordinating instructions
embedded in the guidelines
is the observance of
command
responsibility
of every Unit Commander
in
closely
monitoring
the undertakings of their subordinates in the conduct
of
anti-illegal
drugs
operations.
Every
PNP
personnel is also bound to
report illegal-drugs related
a c tiv itie s /p e r s o n a litie s
within their community to
their superior officer and
would merit serious neglect
of duty if failed to do so.

‘One-strike policy’
shall also be implemented
if the PNP members under
a Chief of Police (COP) is
arrested and charged in his-
her involvement in illegal
drugs by other operating
units; when two of more
Cops under a Provincial
Director (PD) are relieved
due to illegal drugs issue;
and if two or more PDs/CDs
are relieved due to illegal
drugs related issues.

“All of these, and
other provisions of the PNP’s
operational guidelines and
adherence to policies on
anti-illegal drugs campaign
will be closely monitored by
DILG and NAPOLCOM as
we try to cleanse the ranks
of PNP and weed out erring
cops,” Año said. (DILG/
EPC/JCP/PIA-NCR)
Sec. Duque emphasized.

The DOH secretary
highlighted that with or
without Dengvaxia, Dengue
is already a permanent threat
to Filipinos, explicating that
“no one is exempted from
the continuing threat of
Dengue infection” whether
rich or poor, young or old,
professional or skilled
workers.
Thereby,
he
reiterated the ways to
prevent
Dengue
not
only for those people
administered
with
the
vaccine but for everyone.
Whereas, he enumerated
the 4S as follows: (1) seek
early consultation once
symptoms exhibited; (2)
search and destroy possible
mosquito-breeding places,
keep surroundings clean and
cover clean water containers
where the dengue carrying
mosquitoes
or
Aedes
aegypti breed; (3) say Yes to
selective fogging, wherein,
we must administer fogging
only during outbreaks; and
(4) make self-protection
measures like usage of
mosquito repellant and
wearing of proper attire.
Sec.
Duque
discussed the symptoms of
Dengue such as headache;
muscle, bone and joint
pain; nausea vomiting; pain
behind the eyes; swollen glands; and rash.

He further reminded
everyone in the forum
that once symptoms were
noticed, “Huwag po kayong
magdadalawang
isip,
huwag po kayong magpapa-
tumpik-tumpik, huwag po
kayong mag-aatubili, itakbo
na ninyo sa pinakamalapit
na pagamutan dahil may
kasabihan po na nasa huli
ang pagsisisi,” he said.

“Sundin po natin
ang 4s,” he reiterated with
encouragement for everyone
to keep in mind and follow
the ways to prevent dengue.
Santa Rosa City Mayor Dan
Fernandez, on the same day,
also expressed their LGU’s
support to their affected
constituent. In fact, their
city’s hospital was directed
by the chief executive to
shoulder
hospitalization
of children who may
experience AEFI.

As of 24 January
2018, based on the report by
DOH, there have been a total
of 26 deaths in the country
out of the 725 hospitalized
dengvaxia-vaccinated
children
beginning
its
implementation in March
2016. However, the study
to prove whether these
deaths are actually related to
dengvaxia is still ongoing.
(GG/RG, PIA4A)
Command responsibility