Cops deployed to quarantine facilities again after escape of COVID-19 patient

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will again deploy police officers to 11 quarantine facilities here, following the escape of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient over the weekend.

Police Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, acting BCPO director, said on Thursday that the city government has already coordinated with them.

It can be recalled that Tadeo Santia-on, 40, of Bago City, Negros Occidental who worked in a resort here, escaped from the facility in Brgy. Tangub on Oct 30, 2021 and was found naked and lifeless in a seawall in Brgy. Pahanocoy on Nov 2. Police believed he might have drowned.

Councilor Renecito Novero, chair of the Quarantine Centers Action Team, told Aksyon Radyo Bacolod that he received information that Santia-on was suffering from depression.

Novero said quarantine facility personnel tried to talk to the patient but he reportedly refused to talk to them.

Novero also said that a watcher of a COVID-19 patient also managed to sneak out from another facility.

He said a watcher was allowed at the facility as the patient just had a surgery. Fortunately, the watcher was immediately found, he added.

For his part, Martir said that at least two police officers will be assigned to each quarantine facility to ensure the security of the patients and the staff.

“Kun makaya 3, puwede man but we’ll check, basi per station may puwede man i-deploy,” he added.

Martir said they will also tap some force multipliers if there’s a need to add more personnel, considering the insufficiency of BCPO personnel.

Martir said the BCPO has previously deployed policemen in facilities but were pulled out after their Field Training Program (FTP) was already finished here.

He also said that police officers will continue to conduct roving patrol to augment their security.