Sore eyes hit APEC cops, delegate

CEBU, Philippines- The Police Regional Office-7 has pulled out at least nine policemen who were part of the augmentation force deployed in three Cebu cities hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings after they were diagnosed with conjunctivitis, which causes sore eyes.

Most of the policemen, who were immediately given treatment and were advised to rest, were on field assignment as part of route security for the APEC delegates when they acquired the disease.

“Since the start, a total of nine conjunctivitis cases were diagnosed and all of them were pulled from APEC duty and were treated and advised to rest. Of course, replacement personnel were provided,” said Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, PRO-7 Regional Directorial Staff chief.

Rennan Cimafranca, chief of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH)-7, also confirmed that at least one delegate has been afflicted with conjunctivitis.

He said the delegate has been given antibiotics and was advised to stay in his room and to refrain from attending APEC meetings.

He added that the said delegate is under observation for two days already.

According to www.diethealth club.com, “sore eyes resulting from conjunctivitis… is an easily communicable disease that can spread by hand to eye touch, through droplets of nasal fluid or coughing, and by hand to eye connect post contact with an unclean object or surface.”

Cimafranca said the health conditions of delegates are monitored by DOH through standby medical teams in the different APEC venues and in the hotels where the delegates are staying.

The RESU chief said that cases of conjunctivitis and hypertension were among those that struck Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection personnel helping secure the APEC meetings. He said, though, that the incidents are still “isolated” cases.

Meanwhile, Lawas said they will intensify their security setup in the areas where the APEC meetings are taking place with the arrival of the top-ranking officials of the 21 member economies this week.

He told a press briefing at the International Media Center in Bayfront Hotel yesterday that they will “level up” the level of security for the coming days.

He said PRO-7 has been constantly monitoring threats that might mar the APEC meetings in Cebu and has so far not received reports on any.

“We are continuously monitoring internal and external threats,” Lawas said.

PRO-7 has deployed over 3,000 police officers in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, particularly in major thoroughfares of the three cities, vital installations, in the hotels where the meetings are taking place, and in the hotels where the delegates are staying throughout the duration of the APEC meetings.

Lawas said that as of yesterday, they have recorded the arrival of over 1,000 foreign APEC delegates and 300 national delegates.

He also reported during the press briefing that with the deployment of over 3,000 policemen as augmentation to the existing police force of the three cities, Metro Cebu has seen a six percent decline in its crime rate.

He said this could be attributed to the better police visibility that deterred the commission of crimes.

He also praised the Cebuanos for cooperating with the police and with the organizing committee despite having been inconvenienced by the APEC meetings.

Also, Lawas said PRO-7 would answer and would submit documents to any inquiry into the issue on the meal allowance intended for the policemen providing security to APEC delegates.

This was after Senator Antonio Trillanes said he might propose for a senate inquiry into the allegation that there were policemen, despite having been allotted P300 as daily meal allowance, were allegedly given poor quality food.

Trillanes said the inquiry is for the public to know what really happened and determine the truth behind the issue.

“We are ready to answer questions and present documents if need be,” Lawas said.

He said have nothing to hide from the people and would willingly submit themselves to any inquiry so the truth would come out. — / RHM (FREEMAN)