Police ready for shift to MCGQ in October

September 28, 2020

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said they are prepared once the quarantine status in Metro Manila will shift to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by October.

“If ever the quarantine will be lifted, we have a lot of preparations. The marshals will stay, the barangay enforcement teams will stay, the red teams will stay. That is what we will do. We will abide with whatever protocol will come out,” Police General Camilo Cascolan said in a press briefing.

Cascolan said they will properly implement  health protocols such as social distancing once Metro Manila shifts to MGCQ.

As  for  provincial buses, the PNP chief said there will be marshals in terminals.

“We have the marshals and we also have the red teams to be able to respond to the needs of our people who are working and (to) be able to know what's wrong or what is the best for them,” Cascolan said.

Metro Manila and four areas were placed by the government under GCQ from September 1 until September 30.

To avoid confusion, the Metropolitan Manila Council (MMC) have agreed not to disclose to the public its recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) regarding the community quarantine status of Metro Manila starting October 1.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia, COVID-19 cases in NCR are on a downward trend.

“We cannot disclose it to avoid confusion. Hence, we will let the IATF decide on the matter with finality,” Garcia said.

He assured that all Metro Manila mayors are ready to implement  general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). Ella Dionisio/DMS