PNP to use checkpoints in enforcing community quarantine — Durana

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be using checkpoints to enforce the community quarantine on Metro Manila, the acting spokesperson of the national police said Friday.

“Community quarantine will be enforced by the PNP through checkpoints and other lawful means in coordination with the LGUs (local government units) starting from barangays and other agencies like the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana Jr., head of the Directorate for Police Community Relations and acting PNP spokesperson said in a text message.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night declared that he is placing the whole of Metro Manila under “community quarantine” to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Under a community quarantine, land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from Metro Manila will not be allowed from March 15 until April 14.

Duterte also approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to raise the COVID-19 alert level of the country to the highest level of  Code Red Sub-level 2.

“To my countrymen, do not panic. Please do not be stressed to the point that you may not be able to do what you want to do,” Duterte said. “You can still do so, but we will have restrictions. There will be conditions because there is a crisis.”

“For Manila, ayaw namin gamitin ‘yan pero—kasi takot kayo sabihin ‘lockdown’ (For Manila, we don’t want to use that word because you’ll be afraid if we say ‘lockdown’). But it’s a lockdown,” he also said.

READ: Duterte puts Metro Manila under ‘community quarantine’

But according to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, workers from outside Metro Manila will still be allowed entry despite the implementation of the community quarantine.

He said employees from the provinces will simply have to show identification cards indicating their respective places of work in Metro Manila.

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa earlier said up to 40,000 police officers will be deployed to enforce the lockdown in Metro Manila.

A total of 52 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday. Of which, five cases have ended in deaths.

Edited by MUF