No arrests during transfer of virus patients from homes to isolation facilities — Año

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday has assured that nobody will be arrested during the enforcement of Oplan Kalinga where coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients will be transferred from their homes to isolation facilities under escort by local officials and law enforcers.

“Wala tayong pag-aresto na gagawin dito. Ililipat natin ito sa isolation facilities. Hindi naman sinasabi na tokhang,” Año said over dzBB when asked about how critics likened the government’s program to escort COVID-19 patients from their homes to isolation facilities to Oplan Tokhang during the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.

(Nobody will be arrested here. We will just transfer them to isolation facilities. This is not Tokhang.)

Año reiterated that city health officials and local government units (LGUs) will lead the program while police officers will escort them.

“Unang una ang nangunguna dito ay LGUs at saka public health officials. Yung ating law enforcement supporting lang sila,” Año said.

(LGUs will be leading this as well as public health officials. Law enforcers will only be supporting them.)

Año added that critics must also understand how government plans work before making criticisms.

“Unang una muna, dapat sana bago sila mag-comment, alamin muna kung ano ang pronouncement, at kung ano yung plano ng National Task Force,” Año said.

(Before commenting, they must know our pronouncements and the plan of the National Task Force.)

“Hindi yung comment sila nang comment hindi naman naiintindihan yung issue,” Año said.

(Refrain from making comments if you do not understand the issue.)

Oplan Kalinga aims to fetch COVID-19 patients with mild or asymptomatic symptoms to undergo strict quarantine at isolation facilities.

/MUF