Nueva Ecija cops nab funeral band for breaking quarantine

GAPAN CITY –– Sixteen members of a brass band, who were performing at a funeral, were arrested by the police on Thursday for violating quarantine rules.

The band’s vehicle was accompanying a funeral train from Barangay San Nicolas that was rolling towards the public cemetery in Barangay Mangino. The band was flagged down at 1:30 p.m. for failing to secure a permit, and for violating regulations on physical distancing.

The police detained band leader Ariel Matias, 36, and his band members July Rivera, 27; Eduardo Matias, 55; Christine Santiago, 24; Ismael Betchayda, 36; Robertson Sunga, 21; John Aries Bagaybagayan, 31; Richard Quijano, 34; Angelio Sison, 23; and Victor de Guzman, 48. They are all San Nicolas residents.

Also arrested were band members Gervie Constantino, 20; Geremy Constantino, 18; Jon Jon Collado, 36; Joel Datos, 44, of Barangay Sto. Niño, and Marck Capinlac, 27, and Anthony Capionlac, 28, of San Vicente village.

Their driver, Angel Domingo, 43, was also hauled to the city police station.

Nueva Ecija is under a modified enhanced community quarantine and has recorded 55 patients with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Forty-three of them have recovered, but three COVID-19 patients have died.

The ban on physical distancing and mass gatherings are among measures being imposed by the local inter-agency task force to prevent the spread of the disease.

LZB