100 barangay captains to explain why they failed to implement quarantine: DILG

April 30, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday said around 100 barangay captains have  received show cause orders for their alleged failure in implementing guidelines of the enhanced community quarantine.

In a radio interview, Año said most of these barangay captains are from Metro Manila.

"We released show cause order for barangay captains who are not implementing, not observing, and violating the quarantine rules… it already reached 100, mostly from Metro Manila,” he said.

He said these barangay captains did not observe social distancing  and even allowed illegal gambling.

Año earlier said show cause orders were issued against three governors and five mayors nationwide.

“For the mayors, the executive orders they released are not in coordination with the IATF (InterAgency Task Force) guidelines,” he said.

"For the governors we sent (show cause order) to three governors but they already explained and adjust their EO,” he said.

Año said they have yet to release show cause order for local government officials who had committed violations on distributing social amelioration programs.

“But we also considered the status of our LGUs because it’s hard to distribute the (social) amelioration program without violating  social distancing… if we are not under quarantine, it’s easy to do,” he said.

As of Thursday, Año said Bicol has 100 percent compliance in terms of the SAP distribution while Metro Manila has 73 percent compliance.

For those areas who are still not distributing SAP, he said they will ask them to explain.

“We want to fast track this because the public is really waiting for this,” he added.

Año told the public not to be afraid to report if they see any violations by their local government officials.

“Just make sure that what they are saying is true because we are not tolerating politicking during this time… what we need is cooperation for us to end this COVID-19 crisis,” he said.

He said the DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs is collating documents and evidence  if other local officials must be given show cause orders.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said local officials were liable in properly implementing the quarantine as mandated by the Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act which orders "local officials to fully cooperate in the cohesive implementation of the national policy to address the pandemic."

Año reiterated his warning that local officials will be held administratively or criminally liable if they fail to properly implement quarantine in their areas.

"The President (Rodrigo Duterte) can immediately suspend or dismiss (officials)… they will be also criminal charges that they might face for violating the Bayanihan Act,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS