Stay at home or be fined, arrested for breaking ECQ: Año

April 21, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday remind the public to stay at home or face fines, even arrest if they will caught sneaking pass checkpoints to go to provinces for non-essential purposes.

Año said if a person violates the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) directives, they are breaking the law.

“I repeat, you will be punished if you will be caught passing through checkpoint to go out of town. Times are very hard. This is not the time to go on vacation but a time to unite against COVID-19 by staying at home,” he said.

In a TV interview, Año said violators can be detained for at least 12 hours depending on their offense and during a briefing last week he said they may be fined up to P2,000.

“I leave it to the other branch of government,” he said.

“We are in a very unique and desperate situation in trying to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 infection in the country. That’s why please stay where you are. If you are stopped at a checkpoint and you have no valid reason, you will be fined and even arrested and told to go back where you come from," he added.

The DILG chief said they received reports from various DILG regional offices that persons leave their homes to go out to the province.

Año said according to DILG Region 1, there are residents of Metro Manila who are currently stranded outside of the borders of Pangasinan after they tried to enter the province.

The same case also transpired in the boundaries of Quezon Province and Camarines Sur where people from Metro Manila are stranded at checkpoints because they are not Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR).

Similar incidents were also reported in different parts of the country, such as Zamboanga City.

“Let’s not be hard-headed. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to increase and this will further increase if you will not cooperate,” the secretary said.

Año directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be more vigilant in manning checkpoints, following the recent statement of President Rodrigo Duterte on imposing  stricter ECQ measures to keep people from moving while ensuring that human rights are respected.

He also encouraged the public to be disciplined and follow the orders of the national government adding that as violators of anti-coronavirus measures, individuals may be sanctioned with criminal cases. Ella Dionisio/DMS