Capas officials to face sanction if they continue to oppose hosting OFWs from Wuhan – DILG

February 9, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday warned local government officials from Capas, Tarlac that they would face sanction if they would continue to defy the national government’s order to help returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from Wuhan City, the epicenter of the deadly novel coronavirus, in Hubei, China.

In a statement, Año said the government has already decided to use the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City to quarantine the Filipino repatriates.

Año made the statement after the town of Capas passed a resolution expressing its disagreement with the quarantine plans in the area.

“The resolution of Capas LGU is just an expression of its sentiments objecting the use of Athletes village for fear of contamination,” the secretary said.

Año said the “fear is nothing” since the Interagency Task Force has been implementing all preventive and scientific measures to ensure safety of everyone including the residents, passengers and medical personnel.

“The National Government has decided already and the LGU must abide by it. The LGU has committed to follow. Of course, if the LGU will defy, then appropriate sanction has to be done,” he said.

On Saturday, Interior Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III clarified that repatriated Filipinos from Wuhan who would be quarantined in New Clark City are not positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019 nCoV ARD). 

Around 30 OFWs already arrived at Athletes Village on Sunday morning where they will be quarantined for 14 days to check if they are affected by the virus or not.

According to a news report, the local government of Capas is only allowing the first batch of repatriated OFWs to stay in the municipality. Ella Dionisio/DMS