More troops to be deployed ”ASAP” in Metro Manila to enforce ECQ: Lorenzana

April 20, 2020

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana  on Sunday ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deploy more troops in Metro Manila to strictly implement the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)

Asked when the military will be sent to tighten the ECQ, Lorenzana told the Daily Manila Shimbun in a Viber message: ''ASAP ( As soon as possible).''

"The trend of COVID cases appearing everyday will be the final determinant. That’s why these last 11 days of April are crucial in the decision making process. We should see a tapering off or downward trend to warrant partial lifting or continue with the lockdown if the trend continues to go up," Lorenzana said when asked if he is in favor of extending the ECQ, which is set to end on April 30.

"That is why we are worried about  too many people out in groups in supermarkets, streets, and other places.  These sights do not inspire confidence that we will achieve our objective by end of this month," he said.

"That’s why I have directed the CSAFP ( Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines) to deploy more troops in Metro Manila and other places with high covid incidence to augment the police to strictly  implement social distancing and ECQ," he added.

In a TV interview, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the military and police will increase their deployment for the strict ECQ implementation on the remaining 11 days of April

."Not a total lockdown for the entire country but what we are going to do is to implement the lockdown on Luzon and other parts of the country on a very strict mode," he said.

"This will be very important for the social factor, like Luzon. (If) people are ready for the new normal, ...a possibility or a total lifting of the lockdown. So we are increasing (number of) policemen and soldiers to implement the remaining days of lockdown," he added.

Año said the "extreme ECQ" will be implemented in areas with "an ongoing local community transmission."

"We are looking on several affected where there is really an ongoing local community transmission like for example what happened in Cebu. We have to really put  an extreme ECQ because of the sudden increase of positive cases in just a matter of three days", he said.

"We are going also to make sure that converging places like private and public, wet markets are actually sealed off, both entry and exit, urban poor communities where houses are really... in crowded areas and places and community areas. So we are going to put a lot of soldiers and  we call them social distancing teams just to make sure that people stay home and will not violate the ECQ or the quarantine," he added.

Año said more violators are expected to be arrested with the strict implementation of ECQ.

"We expect that more arrests will be done, especially to those not only violating the quarantine but even in engaging in other activities like drinking and gambling and many other illegal activities. We will make sure that the remaining days of this ECQ will be observed," he said. Robina Asido/DMS