DILG says up to Metro Manila LGus to pass curfew ordinance amid coronavirus pandemic

March 15, 2020

The Department of Interior and Local Government on Sunday said it will be up to the city councils in Metro Manila if they will pass their respective ordinances implementing curfew in their jurisdiction.

In a statement, Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said imposing curfew is an initiative of the Metro Manila Council (MCC) which is composed of all mayors in the National Capital Region (NCR) and not the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF).

“The mayors passed a resolution urging their respective councils to pass ordinances imposing an 8pm to 5am curfew,” Malaya said.

He said the impression the media got was it will be immediately implemented because all 17 mayors agreed.

“But the truth of the matter is that to impose a curfew you need a law and only the city councils have that authority and not the Metro Manila Council,” he said.

“So we will have to wait until the councils pass their ordinances before the DILG, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the local government units can enforce (curfew),” Malaya added.

According to the undersecretary, Muntinlupa City already passed its ordinance on Saturday while most of the LGUs will hold sessions on Monday.

“So it’s just a matter of time before the curfews are in effect Metro-wide,” he said.

In case of a curfew, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said it will just caution those who will be found outside within the curfew hours.

“There are still no guidelines… if ever we should be informed of (the) ordinance and I don’t know if we can be strict because this is not martial law which is a presidential directive,” Police Major General Debold Sinas said in a press conference in Quezon City.

“If ever, our initial action is to give a copy of the ordinance to those who will be found outside from 8pm to 5am and caution them… for the meantime, everything will be information drive,” Sinas said. Ella Dionisio/DMS