‘Time to go after violators’: 1,765 COVID-19 lockdown defiers to be charged in Cebu

CEBU CITY—Police are filing charges against at least 1,765 persons who had been accused of violating lockdown rules being enforced in the city since March 28.

Col. Josefino Ligan, Cebu City police chief, said police are done with calling the attention of people about the community quarantine and giving them a chance to comply.

“Now it’s time to really go after all of the violators,” Ligan said.

As of April 20, a total of 1,420 persons were apprehended for resisting persons in authority after failing to present quarantine passes. At least 345 individuals had been arrested for violating the curfew.

Vehicles of those who failed to present quarantine passes had been impounded.

The alleged violators were brought to different police stations for documentation but they were eventually released while charges against them were being prepared.

They would be charged either with resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or violation of a law that required reporting diseases “or health events of public concern.”

The penalty is one to six months of imprisonment or a fine of P20,000 to P50,000, or both, depending on the court.

Ligan said police will strictly implement the city’s lockdown especially now that COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

Aside from facing criminal charges, Mayor Edgardo Labella also wants the violators to render community service.

Labella has placed Cebu City under enhanced community quarantine from March 28 to April 28 in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As of Monday (April 20), the total number of COVID-19 cases in Cebu Island has reached 186. Of these, 166 are in Cebu City.

On Monday, the city started enforcing a number coding scheme that would limit the number of vehicles on city roads during the lockdown to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Edited by TSB