Stranded persons in Metro Manila can return to province even if they have no quarantine pass

May 25, 2020

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday assured that locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who are processing their requirements to go home will not be arrested even if they don’t have quarantine passes.

In a TV interview, Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa said he will inform police officers that a different treatment should be given to LSIs.

“Putting restraints on them will not actually meet the outcome we want,” Gamboa said.

“Rest assured the Philippine National Police will take it with an open mind... if they don’t have quarantine pass and they would just go to the police just to get clearance, we'll facilitate, we will do that," he added.

Earlier, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield said LSIs who want  to go home must request  a medical certificate from the Health Office of the Local Government Unit (LGU) where they were stranded to show they did not develop any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 during at least 14 days of home quarantine immediately prior to obtaining the certificate and is fit to travel.

After acquiring the certificate, they must go to the chief of police of the city or municipality of origin, in inter- municipal or regional director if inter-region, for the travel authority.

Stranded students in Metro Manila can go to the lo cal police station to seek assistance if they want to go home as the National Capital Region is under the modified enhanced community quarantine.

“If there's a problem on access, he can just go to the nearest police station and then we will facilitate. Probably, we will just check on the police station what are the requirements and we can require the regional director to issue that clearance and then email or electronic means, the regional director can send it to the concerned station," Gamboa explained.

“We will make things as much as comfortable as possible based on the restrictions that we have right now in the National Capital Region,” the PNP chief said.

On Sunday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered the PNP to set up help desks in police stations for  LSIs as well as returning overseas Filipino workers. Ella Dionisio/DMS