51 COVID-19-hit cops didn't interact with SONA 2021 protesters —NCRPO

The 51 police officers deployed during President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address  and who tested positive for COVID-19 had no interaction with protesters, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Wednesday.

On Super Radyo dzBB, Police Major General Vicente Danao Jr. said the policemen were staying at the University of the Philippines-TechnoHub in Diliman, Quezon City and were "waiting for orders."

"Ibig sabihin naka-stand by lang sila sa isang lugar in case of gulo... Hindi nakasalamuha ang taong nagrally," Danao said.

[They were on standby in case something untoward happened. They did not interact with rallyists.]

Danao said the police who were directly interacted with the rallyists would have to be tested for COVID-19.

In an earlier press briefing, police said 51 personnel from the QCPD Police Station 3 deployed for the SONA security tested positive for COVID-19

The results of their tests, which were conducted two days before the SONA, were made public on Wednesday.

In an earlier radio interview,  Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said QCPD has lapses in deploying police officers without yielding negative results in the swab test.

Instead of worrying about rallyists' health, Danao expressed frustration against the protesters whom he said allegedly did not submit the list of participants in anti-government protests.

"Kung magsisinungaling kayo edi antayin natin na mangisay kayo diyan. Walang may gusto diyan," he said.

[If you start to lie about your health, so suffer from it. Nobody wants that.]

He even criticized the progressive groups who joined the anti-government protests in Quezon City:  "Ang titigas ng ulo ninyo. Kung hindi kayo nagsipagrally, wala sanang idedeploy na pulis diyan."

[If you did not show up then we would not have to send policemen there.] —NB, GMA News