Pampanga now under stricter quarantine due to curfew violations

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –– The Pampanga Police enforced a “total lockdown,” beginning on Thursday (March 26), to stop the flagrant violation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine imposed by President Duterte on March 17.

The total lockdown requires the police to set up  “control points” at the barangay level, withdraws all home quarantine passes issued to household members so they could leave their houses to make food or medical supply runs, cancels travel passes and assigns a policeman per barangay.

“There has been a wanton disregard of quarantine procedures by residents,” said Police Col. Jean Fajardo, Pampanga police director.

She said the police have been monitoring four towns with confirmed and suspected cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Some barangay officials are being investigated for selling quarantine passes.

On Wednesday (March 25), the police arrested more than 200 curfew violators and were held in basketball courts where they were required to do community service.

“Our objective is to restrict movements of people to be able to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Fajardo said.

“Quarantine is a medical term and not all people understand it. If people equate lockdown with martial law, then so be it. If the need is for the greater good your police will do it,” she said.

The lockdown is legal because it is aligned with the state of public health emergency declared by the President, said Board Member Ananias Canlas.

Edited by LZB