More cops in streets as some violations seen in first day of MECQ

August 5, 2020

Police commanders in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) will intensify police visibility in public markets and other places of convergence to enforce stricter quarantine rules, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield said on Wednesday.

Police Lt. General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander, said this is important in compelling the people to conform to minimum health safety standard protocol that includes wearing of face masks, proper physical distancing and prohibition of mass gatherings.

This, after the first day assessment of the MECQ enforcement revealed that some people and business establishments continue to violate guidelines by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

Eleazar said there were reports some people continue to go out and roam in places of convergence even if they are not listed as Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) while some eateries continue to allow dine-in services.

“This kind of behavior under a pandemic situation should not be tolerated and must immediately be addressed because they are not only compromising their health safety but also their respective families and people in their communities until it would become an additional burden to our medical health workers and eventually to the government,” he said.

Police Major General Emmanuel Luis Licup, PNP Director for Operations and JTF COVID Shield vice commander, reiterated the instruction to police commanders to mobilize barangay tanods and the city and municipal public order and safety personnel to augment police in conducting regular patrolx from the places of convergence in the city and town proper down to the barangay level.

Eleazar said barangay tanods and Public Order and Safety personnel of the LGUs are essential force multipliers in the enforcement of quarantine rules since policemen could not cover the entire Metro Manila and the other four provinces.

“We are all into this, in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The national government and the local government uUnits (LGUs) should work together in reducing the coronavirus infection rate to a significant level,” he said.

“Otherwise, the intent of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s approval of MECQ in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite would be futile,” he added.

Eleazar said based on their data, the number of violators significantly decreases if the presence of policemen, soldiers and law enforcers is highly visible.

“The number of quarantine violators accosted in the first 140 days of the community quarantine justifies the government action to tap law enforcers because the strict enforcement of quarantine rules is a form of medical solution since it focuses on the prevention of infection. In this time of pandemic, we should all be responsible to at least protect ourselves and our family without being told or compelled by law enforcers and other authorities,” Eleazar said.

From March 17 to August 3, a total of 289,900 violators were warned, fined and charged nationwide for violation of quarantine protocols since the start of the community quarantine implementation.

“As our Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año repeatedly said, we are all into this fight and that means every Filipino is a part of the solution by staying at home, doing away with unnecessary travels and observing the minimum health safety standard protocols,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS