‘No ID, no entry’: Border police seal Metro Manila to fight COVID-19

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Philippines — “You have no ID?” a traffic aide asks an elderly woman aboard a passenger bus.

“No,” the woman replies, almost whispering.

“Sorry, ma’am, you have to go with me. We can’t let you through.”

A long line of buses, jeepneys, private cars, and motorcycles crawl to a stop before a checkpoint on Quirino Highway at the border of Caloocan City in quarantined Metro Manila and San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan.

“Only residents and those employed in the city are allowed entry to San Jose Del Monte. They need to provide proof of employment or an ID indicating their residency,” Police Staff Sgt. Ericson Orola told INQUIRER.net early Sunday evening.

Several commuters, including the elderly woman on the bus, were turned back for failing to provide the required travel documents, said Orola, who heads the checkpoint.

Metro Manila has been sealed off from the rest of the country as Philippine officials scramble to curb the spread of coronavirus disease. At exactly 12:01 a.m. Sunday, the metropolis of 12 million was placed on a community quarantine.

The Department of Health reported 140 COVID-19 infections and 12 deaths as of Sunday, with the capital region accounting for the largest number of cases.

More than 80 roadblocks manned by fully armed police officers have been established on major entry and exit points of the 619.6-square-kilometer National Capital Region, which is composed of 16 cities and one town.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas warned that stricter border controls would be implemented gradually.

But movement of food, medical supplies, and other essential commodities will continue unhampered during the 31-day quarantine period, from March 15 to April 14.

Some areas outside Metro Manila followed suit.

The presidential daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte, placed Davao City on community quarantine, calling it an “aggressive and proactive” measure to curb the spread of the virus. The city has two confirmed COVID-19 cases.

In Oriental Mindoro, travels have been restricted, classes suspended, and cockfighting halted as it was placed on “voluntary community quarantine.” The province has no reported case of coronavirus infection.

At the checkpoint in San Jose Del Monte City, Alvarez Cardoza and his wife aboard a motorcycle were stopped by police.

They wanted to enter the Bulacan city, but the IDs show they are residents of Caloocan City. They were denied entry.

“I hope you understand,” the police officer told the couple. “We’re doing this for all of us.”

/atm