The Joint Task Force COVID Shield has urged managers of malls and other business establishments to coordinate all promotional and sales activities with the local police, especially after the government has allowed the holding of mall sales.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the JTF COVID Shied, said the move is to ensure that minimum health safety standard protocols are observed as sales and other promotional activities tend to attract a large number of people.
“We in the JTF COVID Shield have been adjusting our security and healthy safety measures to strike a balance between the need to revive our economy and in ensuring the protection of our kababayan,” said Eleazar.
“Even before the pandemic, the local police were actively involved in security planning for big sales and other events. Amid the threat of the coronavirus, the need for cooperation between the business community and the Philippine National Police (PNP) is even more important,” he added.
Last week, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) allowed the holding of mall sales and other promotional events of business establishments in order to further spur the economy which has been affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Eleazar said he had already coordinated with PNP Chief General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, who in turn, tasked local commanders to ensure that they would always be aware of any activity in their respective Areas of Responsibility (AORs).
“Security managers of malls and other business establishments have a good history of coordination with the PNP. We continue to maintain this good working relationship both for the security and health safety of the customers,” said Eleazar.
On Friday, the JTF COVID Shield instructed all police commanders to strengthen police visibility in business districts and other public places as more industries were permitted to operate and more people were allowed to go out.