NCRPO: No reported looting in Metro amid quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Tuesday said that no house looting has been reported so far while Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19.

NCRPO issued the clarification as it belied circulating messages saying many houses have been robbed by persons or a group claiming to be in charge of sanitizing houses to fight the virus.

“A message purportedly warning everyone about the alleged proliferation of persons or group claiming to be in charge to sanitize homes from the virus circulated via text messages and social media. The message further states that the criminals have looted many houses with this deceptive method or modus operandi,” Metro Manila police chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said in a statement sent to the NCRPO Viber group.

“Being the Regional Director of NCRPO, I would like to guarantee the public that no such looting was yet reported to have happened in the Metro,” he added.

Sinas then assured the public that NCRPO would not stop their anti-criminality measures even if many policemen were deployed to man checkpoints set-up for the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.

So far, the Philippines has 142 people infected with COVID-19, including 12 deaths and three recoveries.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which outbreak started in China’s Wuhan City in Hubei province in late 2019.

People who have COVID-19 could recover since for most people, its symptoms were mild like fever and cough. But the illness could also be worse or serious for others and possibly lead to pneumonia, especially for older adults and those with existing health problems.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic since it has already infected more than 160,000 people and killed over 6,000 in over 140 countries all over the world.

KGA