THE deadly COVID-19 on Wednesday night claimed the life of a bemedalled Philippine National Police general making him the 49th fatal victim in the PNP.
Brigadier General Jonathan M. Ureta, a member of PNP Academy Class 1989, passed away past 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City where he had been confined for nearly a month, the Journal Group learned.
The PNP leadership headed by General Debold M. Sinas and the PNPA Alumni Association Inc. offered their deepest sympathies to the family of Ureta who became the PNP Explosives and Ordnance Division/K-9 Group on September 22, 2019.
A former deputy director of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, Ureta’s death came before his 56th birthday and retirement day this coming May 7. A number of police generals including Gen. Sinas have also contracted COVID-19 in the performance of their duties although the PNP chief and many star-rank officers who got the disease have already fully recovered.
The 48th fatality was a 50-year-old Police Non-Commissioned Officer from the Police Regional Office 4-A in Calabarzon region who died last Wednesday too.
Another PNCO from the National Capital Region Police Office was the 47th COVID-19 fatality in the force. The victim was a member of the NCRPO’s Regional Mobile Group with the rank of Police Staff Sergeant.
The cop passed away at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City on Tuesday evening.
Prior to his death, the policeman was reported to have suffered from fever and body pains last March 21 but did not report to the NCRPO Regional Health Service as he was said to be hesitant to have himself quarantined.
When his symptoms progressed and he developed shortness of breath, cough, colds and diarrhea, the cop opted to go on home quarantine and self-medication until he was tested positive for the virus last April 6.
The policeman also told his superiors he did not want to be admitted to a police treatment facility and would just seek a private hospital’s help. Failing to find a private hospital room, he finally agreed to be admitted at the NCRPO Special Care Facility last April 7.
However, he again requested to be transferred to the Marikina City hospital the following day. Acceding to his request, the cop was accompanied by a team of officers from the NCPRO Health Service to the Marikina hospital last April 10.
However, his condition further deteriorated until he died 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“I am reminding again all our police personnel to be cautious of your health condition and do not self-medicate as it may get worse,” Gen. Sinas said in the wake of the sad events in the police force.
Last Monday, the PNP also mourned the death of two more Police Commissioned Officers due to COVID-19, the 45th and 46th virus fatality in the force since March last yesterday.