BFP-6 chief relieved over ‘viral controversy’

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

 

The alleged violation of quarantine protocols by personnel of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) cost the agency’s regional director his post.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Fire Senior Inspector Stephen Jardeleza, confirmed the relief of Fire Senior Superintendent Roderick Aguto as BFP-6 regional head, based on Bureau Order No. REA-2020-098 issued on June 17, 2020.

Aguto reportedly asked for his own relief after his name was embroiled in the controversy where personnel of the BFP-6, including one who tested positive for COVID-19, entered Boracay Island last June 12 and stayed up to June 14 even if the island was not yet officially open for tourism.

Fire Senior Superintendent Jerry Candido will take over Aguto’s post.

A lawyer, Candido used to be the fire marshal of BFP-Iloilo City and Bacolod City.

He was also the Assistant Regional Director for Administration and Operation and Director for Logistics of the BFP National Office.

But even before this announcement, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she spoke to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año when asked about punitive actions against the quarantine “transgressors.”

Puyat hinted at firing the BFP-6 regional director which was Año’s call.

“DOT removed the accreditation ng hotel. So, they can’t operate anymore. Mali kasi talaga,” she said.

The DOT initiated the accreditation revocation procedures on the resort that housed the BFP group days before the official reopening of the island on June 16.

“The DOT shall strictly implement rules and regulations under its mandate and shall ensure that both tourism industry players and tourists  would have an enjoyable experience in an environment where trust and confidence in destinations are regained during the New Normal,” Puyat said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Natividad Bernardino, Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group general manager, said they want to hold the BFP regional office and its personnel accountable over what happened.

“Aside from violating the quarantine protocol, the personnel involved should also be charged for non-cooperation,” Bernardino said.

In a statement, the Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) decried the entry of the BFP personnel from the BFP regional office 6 based in Iloilo City. One of them was later found to be positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Provincial and local government officials conducted contact tracing and advised all concerned to undertake necessary health and safety measures.

The staff and management of the resort are now on strict quarantine.

The BIATF earlier commended the Provincial Government of Aklan and the LGU of Malay for mapping out stringent health and safety guidelines for tourists that ranges from digital solutions promoting contactless transactions to a detailed emergency response plan.

Acting Mayor Floribar Bautista of Malay, Aklan is mulling to file charges against the BFP personnel who entered Boracay Island a day before the result of her swab test for COVID-19 was released.

In a statement, Bautista said he is preparing to file cases against the “irresponsible personnel who violated the quarantine protocols.”

Establishments that catered to the BFP personnel’s “unofficial” business will also be probed for possible violation of Executive Orders No. 027 and 027-A of the Municipality of Malay.

On June 15, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas announced that they decided to lock down the BFP regional office for three days after one of its personnel was positive for COVID-19.

“As a Government Agency, it should also follow the regulations of the LGU especially as we try to control the local transmission of coronavirus disease here in Iloilo City,” Treñas said.

He subsequently issued Memorandum Order No. 159 on the strict imposition of the 14-day home quarantine on all locally stranded individuals and Overseas Filipino Workers who will arrive in Iloilo City starting June 16, 2020, onwards until a vaccine is available.

Appropriate disciplinary measures and possible charges may be filed against those who fail or refuse to comply.

Just like Bautista, Treñas also said he is mulling charges against the BFP for the alleged breach of quarantine protocols and false declaration of the patient’s travel history.

Apprehensions were raised over the BFP personnel’s visit as it coincided with the reopening of Boracay Island for tourists from Western Visayas on June 16.

Several stakeholders in the island said it might again stall the operations of the island.

Reports indicated that BFP personnel went to Boracay Island on June 12, 2020 via Tabon-Tambisaan Ports.

In a statement Tuesday, the Malay LGU said the COVID-infected BFP employee entered Boracay claiming that she will attend a conference.

This puzzled Malay authorities since the last known meeting in the island was that of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) on June 11 which was attended by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

The lady BFP personnel also cited in her manifesto that they came from Kalibo, Aklan.

“An unfortunate event transpired on June 12, 2020 in which an employee of the Bureau of Fire Protection Region VI went to Boracay Island at around 5:00 p.m. via Tabon-Tambisaan Ports turned out positive for COVID-19,” the statement said.

Dubbed as WV Patient No. 144, the BFP personnel departed the Municipality of Malay on June 14, 2020 at 1:40 pm based on the Passengers’ Data Sheet obtained from the records of the Municipal Tourism Office.

“The Local Government Unit of Malay strongly condemns this irresponsible and blatant disregard of quarantine protocols,” the statement said.

“LGU Malay exhausted all means to mitigate the risk of spread of COVID-19. Contact tracing as well as the investigation of the series of events is being conducted through joint efforts of the Municipal Health Office, Municipal Tourism Office, and the Malay Police Station. Information gathering from the BFP has been difficult.”

 

CEBU RESIDENT 

According to BFP-Region 6, the patient went home to Cebu in March but got stranded due to the community quarantine.

She arrived in Iloilo City from Cebu last June 5.

She was quarantined at Go Hotels-Iloilo City and underwent rapid test and swab test the following day. She tested negative in the rapid test but was found positive in the swab test using the RT-PCR technology.

The health department said the patient falsely declared her travel history as she first claimed that she was a locally stranded individual (LSI).

She also failed to coordinate with the city government and was pulled out by one of her acquaintances for active duty at the BFP Regional and Iloilo City Central Office on June 9.

But it was earlier claimed that she asked permission to undergo “home quarantine.”

By home quarantine, she apparently stayed at the third floor of the BFP-6 building.