PNP Deputy Director for Operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. Screengrab from the Facebook of the Senate of the Philippines.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday urged security management in malls to require quarantine passes to customers and inspect parking areas for unauthorized passengers inside vehicles in order to improve social distancing and avoid mass gathering in malls.
Police Lt. Col. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID Shield, said requiring quarantine passes provided by their respective localities for those entering malls will follow government’s protocol to require one person per household when buying essential goods and services during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
“Dito sa Metro Manila almost all of them, except I think in Marikina, na merong quarantine pass at dahil requirement naman talaga na only one member per household would avail goods and services provided by the establishment, i-re-require natin yung mga malls na dapat may quarantine pass sila (customers) pag pupunta dun at ang mag-avail ng goods and services should avail them generally in their respective localities” Eleazar told reporters after a meeting with security management in malls in National Capital Region.
(Here in Metro Manila, almost all of them, except I think in Marikina, requires quarantine pass and because there is really a requirement that only one member per household would avail goods and services provided by the establishment, we will require the malls to mandate quarantine pass for customers and goods and services should be availed in their respective localities.)
Eleazar said they also recommended to the mall security to ensure those entering malls or staying at the parking lots are either essential workers or authorized member of the family who will avail goods and services.
“While we are checking those who are entering malls and establishments, yung parking area maganda rin ma-i-check na kasi dun palang malalaman natin na kung yung ibang pupunta dun are allowed to avail the services. Of course, kung essential worker sila walang problema yun,” he said.
(While we are checking those who are entering malls and establishments, it is better to check the parking area because it is an area where we can see if those who are entering malls are allowed to avail services. Of course, if they are essential workers, then that is not a problem.)
He noted that two passengers per vehicle is allowed only if the passenger of the driver will buy medical products.
“Remember, we are in MECQ at isa lang ang allowed na bumili yun, so basically dapat yung driver lang yun unless yung pinagdadrive niya is availing medical services pero kung namamalengke ka, ikaw dapat ang magdadrive. Sa MECQ, still kung wala tayong public transport, private lang ang kailangan hindi pwedeng may kasama ka, hindi pwedeng may pa-drive ka lang,” Eleazar said.
(Remember, we are in MECQ, and only one is allowed to buy basic goods so basically only the driver is allowed unless their passenger is availing medical services. But if they will buy groceries, they should be the one who will do the driving. In MECQ, we don’t have public transport, only private so they can’t just have passengers, you can’t just drive around.)
But Eleazar clarified, these are only suggestions from the PNP which can improve social distancing measures in malls. He also warned that malls will be closed and face appropriate cases if it ignores physical distancing.
“These are some of the suggestions or recommendations na pwede nilang (malls) gamitin sundin man nila o hindi as long as ma-observe ang physical distancing at walang viniviolate na karapatan ng customer at kahit kanino, okay sa amin yun,” he said.
(These are some of the suggestions or recommendations that malls can follow or not as long as physical distancing is observed and there are no violations of rights, then that is okay with us.)
“Pero sundin man nila o hindi at nagkaroon ng violation ng social distancing which is ground for closure (of malls) then we will facilitate that at magpafile tayo appropriate case against them,” he added.
(But whether they follow it or not and we find violations of social distancing, which is ground for closure [of malls] then we will facilitate that and file an appropriate case against them.)
The Department of the Interior and Local Government previously warned that malls partially opened during the MECQ will be shut down and face criminal cases if they will not implement strict social distancing and crowd control measures.