Task force to firms: don’t reopen if employees have to walk to work

May 18, 2020

Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Monday told business owners not to reopen if they cannot provide transportation service to their employees after they were seen walking to work under the modified enhanced community quarantine.

“Under MECQ, there is no public transportation and if the (business) establishments think they are allowed to operate base on skeletal force, so be it. Now, if they cannot provide shuttle service to their employees, then they should not operate,” said Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander.

“So for the workers, if your company management cannot provide transportation, it means you are not essential and should not operate. As simple as that,” Eleazar added.

Under the MECQ, the Department of Transportation and the Local Government Units will only provide transportation to health workers and frontliners.

On the heavy traffic in Marcos Highway, Marikina City early morning, Eleazar said it is because the national highway is a boundary between Rizal Province and Metro Manila.

“In fact, we are stricter to those who are going from general community quarantine (GCQ) to ECQ or MECQ… we should remember who are only exempted on borders,” he said.

With the increase in the number of vehicles entering Metro Manila, the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (HPG) will set up more mobile checkpoint and conduct random checking of vehicles to prevent more traffic jams.

“Their vehicles may not be checked in Quarantine Control Points but if my men find out that they are not allowed to go out or they are violating the physical distancing inside the vehicle during mobile checkpoint and random inspection, we will make sure that we will hold them accountable,” said Police Brigadier General Eliseo Cruz, HPG Director, said.

Eleazar reminded the public that they are not allowed to pass through borders if they will only buy basic goods.

“Those who are buying goods and availing services should not cross on border… they should not go in and out of Metro Manila if that is their only purpose because they should avail it in the area where they are living,” Eleazar said.

Eleazar made the statement after a number of people flocked to various malls after the ECQ was downgraded to MECQ last May 16.

He urged the public to exercise self-restraint amid temptation to go out of their houses with the partial re-opening of some malls and other business establishments.

Eleazar said the threat of coronavirus infection is still present and going out for unnecessary travel will only endanger their  families.

“I would just like to remind the public that the government allowed the opening of business establishment for our economy and not for everyone to go out,” he said.

“Let’s respect the workers who are the priority of our government to help in improving our economy and give them opportunity to earn and provide living for their families,” he added.

TF COVID Shield reiterated its warning to all mall managers that it would facilitate the shutting down of the business establishments if they fail to observe physical distancing.Ella Dionisio/DMS