Bancasi, Butuan City – Brigadier General Maurito L Licudine, Commander of 402nd Infantry Brigade based in Bancasi, Butuan City inspected the government troops supporting the PNP and DOH at the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease Quarantine Control Points in Butuan City on 30 – 31 March 2020.
The 402nd Brigade whose area of responsibility covers the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Norte, 1st District of Surigao del Sur and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur and Magsaysay and some barangays of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental deployed over five hundred (500) troops in more than fifty (50) Control Points to be one of the frontliners supporting the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Health (DOH) personnel while other troops are on standby and ready for deployment in case of any eventualities that may arise in line with the implementation of IATF-MEID guidelines and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Pandemic in Caraga region.
BGen Licudine’s visit and inspection aims to ensure the proper and strict implementation of the protocols and guidelines at the Quarantine Control Points in the region as dictated by the Regional Task Force for COVID 19 “One Caraga Shield”. Likewise, 402nd Infantry Brigade Commander distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face shield and face masks and surgical gloves to the AFP and PNP personnel to guarantee the protection of the frontliners.
He said, “We cannot afford that our frontliners particularly the AFP-PNP personnel to be infected because we in the security sector could be the last line of defense to contain the outbreak if this persists much longer.”
It can be recalled that the JTF-CV Caraga Shield composed of AFP-PNP-PCG-BFP was formally activated last March 18, 2020, to address the interoperability mechanism of the four agencies in the implementation of the IATF-MEID guidelines and protocols. Hence, the role of the AFP and PNP is equally vital to contain the spread of the COVID-19.
“All frontliners must ensure that they strictly implement the protocols and, as leaders, we must supervise our personnel and monitor them so that they too will be protected. Hence, we laud the Caraga leaders in its prompt action to harmonize the guidelines among the provinces in the Caraga region activating the Regional Task Force for COVID-10 “One Caraga Shield” to address the COVID-19 threat. Rest assured that your Army will not waver on its commitment to ensure the safety and security of all Caraganons amidst this COVID-19 crisis.
