Police chiefs in Metro Manila, four provinces ordered to set up more checkpoints

August 3, 2020

The Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID Shield on Monday said they ordered all police commanders in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal to set up more checkpoints following the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to place those areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) effective August 4.

Police Lt. General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander, said police chiefs were told to deploy enough personnel to supervise and man additional checkpoints to  contain the movement of people under MECQ as only authorized persons outside residence (APOR) are allowed to leave their homes.

“We will be implementing stricter measures in areas under MECQ for 15 days starting midnight. This is not something new to our kababayan in Metro Manila and the four nearby provinces... what we are asking is for the cooperation of everybody to make the implementation of the security measures both for the public and your Philippine National Police,” Eleazar said.

Eleazar said as soon as  MECQ is implemented, those who are not listed under APOR will not be allowed to cross the borders of the cities and municipalities to avail of basic goods and services.

“We highly encourage them to buy food and avail other basic goods and services in their respective communities because they will not be allowed to pass the Quarantine Control Points (QCPs) which we will set up anew at the borders of cities and municipalities of Metro Manila and four provinces that would revert to MECQ,” he said.

Eleazar explained that under MECQ, only one person per household will be allowed to go out to avail of the basic goods for the entire family.

He said those who would be allowed to go out are required to have a quarantine pass which is expected to be issued by local government units (LGUs) of areas  under MECQ.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he had discussed with the mayors of Metro Manila the guidelines on the MECQ, particularly on issuing quarantine passes.

“Under MECQ, there is a need for a quarantine pass. The LGUs will be issuing quarantine passes anew and we will leave it to them on how they would implement it,” he said.

The quarantine pass , issued when the government imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on March 16 was no longer required when the general community quarantine (GCQ) was implemented in Metro Manila and almost all parts of the country.

Quarantine control points were reduced when the GCQ was implemented. Only QCPs of provincial and regional borders were retained.  Ella Dionisio/DMS