Eleazar: PNP to trace sources of liquor intercepted at quarantine checkpoints
MANILA, Philippines —The Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield said the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be tracing the sources of the liquor that were intercepted at quarantine checkpoints in defiance of liquor ban ordinances being enforced by various local government units during the ongoing Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“Nabanggit natin na hindi naman ito rampant, ang point kasi yung pagtatransport nila ito yung iniiwasan dahil yung iba nga talagang nag-e-eksperimento dahil nakikita sila dun alam niyo naman pag bawal siyempre iba yung presyo niyan,” Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield, said over dzBB when asked about the interception of smuggled liquor at quarantine checkpoints.
(I already said that these activities are not rampant but the point is the transport of this liquor is what we are avoiding because some are experimenting and of course since it is illegal, the price will change.)
“At bahagi sa imbestigasyon ng police kung san nanggagaling ito. Well, definitely merong bodega na pinanggagalingan pero in essence halos lahat naman na yan nakikipagcooperate sa’tin yan,” he added.
(Part of our investigation would be its source. Well definitely, they have a small store but in essence, most of these cooperate with authorities.)
Eleazar mentioned reports of using hearses to smuggle liquor and concealing bottles of liquor inside other boxes.
“Ang ginawa nga nung ibang kababayan natin, nag-e-enterprising. ‘Yung iba nilalagay sa kabaong, yung iba binabalutan pa ng ibang box,” Eleazar said.
(They are enterprising. Some would put liquor bottles inside a casket, some are using boxes of other products to hide the liquor.)
Eleazar was referring to an incident in Pangasinan where a 28-year-old man drove a hearse to deliver alcoholic drinks concealed inside a casket.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) previously said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) does not prohibit the selling of liquor but its manufacturing in areas under the enhanced community quarantine.
The DTI, however, said some local government units (LGUs) are implementing their respective ordinances to ban the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages during the enforcement of the ECQ.
Eleazar added that some provinces are also imposing their respective liquor bans for the duration of the ECQ.
“Siyempre quarantine tayo bawal manufacturing ang alak, kahit san mang lugar yan. Naglabas ng guidelines ang IATF natin regarding this at ito naman sinusundan ng ordinansa ng ibat ibang mga LGUs hindi lang naman sa Metro Manila na nagimpose ng liquor ban,” he said.
(Of course, because we are under quarantine, the manufacture of alcoholic beverages is not allowed. The IATF has already issued guidelines on this and some LGUs not only in Metro Manila have their liquor ban ordinances.)
