PNP to tap chismosos in contact tracing

MANILA, Philippines — The police will tap neighborhood chismosos or gossipers in tracing individuals who could have interacted with those infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said nosy persons could help track down COVID-19 patients.

“Magtanong ka lang diyan sa nagtitinda ng taho o kaya naman yung nagtitinda ng sorbetes ay malalaman mo kung sino yung mga positibo or maysakit ng COVID-19,” Banac said during the Laging Handa news briefing yesterday.

Banac assured the public that they would not take the information provided by gossipers as gospel truth as it would be passed on to health workers for confirmation.

Central Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro had earlier said the regional police office plans to tap what he called the chismoso brigade to locate unreported symptomatic and asymptomatic cases in Cebu province.

Cebu City remains under modified enhanced community quarantine due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Ferro said public cooperation is needed to strengthen contact tracing efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

He cited the experience in Bulacan, where gossipers reportedly contributed to contact tracing efforts.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is nothing wrong with tapping chismosos, noting that there are guidelines to be observed in appointing contact tracers.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said local health workers and police officers would conduct house-to-house search for COVID-19 patients.

Vergeire said the Department of the Interior and Local Government has more than 70,000 contact tracers nationwide.

The Department of Health said it deployed around 9,000 nurses to assist in surveillance and contact tracing.