Duterte inspects checkpoints hours after placing entire Luzon under “enhanced community quarantine”

March 17, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte inspected early Tuesday morning some checkpoints in Metro Manila hours after he declared an "enhanced community quarantine" in the entire Luzon.

In a photo by the Presidential Security Group, which was shared by Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy on her Facebook page, Duterte, who was not wearing a mask but with gloves, was seen talking with the government security forces manning the checkpoint at the MacArthur Highway in the boundary of the cities of Valenzuela and Caloocan.

But PSG Col. Jesus Durante III said that precautionary measure has been followed.

"He (Duterte) didn't wear his mask when he went out of the vehicle. That's why earlier we strictly enforced that we maintain at least two meters away to the person he was talking to," he said in a text message.

Duterte did not shake hands with other people, he said.

"Even us, close-in personnel, we kept our distance and never had physical contact with the people," Durante added.

He also said it was his first time to see people were "very cooperative."

"They did not get near with PRRD or with the close-in personnel. They kept their distance. They even chanted Duterte," the PSG chief said.

Duterte also visited the checkpoint in Mindanao Avenue-NLEX.

In both checkpoints, Duterte spent around 10 minutes each to see the flow of the traffic, Durante said.

From earlier declaration of "community quarantine" in Metro Manila, Duterte expanded the coverage and heightened the implementation to "enhanced community quarantine" for the mainland of Luzon after more cases of coronavirus disease have been reported.

As of 7 pm, March 16, the Department of Health reported that death toll in the Philippines due to COVID-19 rose to 12 while the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 142. Celerina Monte/DMS