24 SAP recipients in Lucena nabbed for violating ‘physical distancing’ protocol
LUCENA CITY – Some 24 beneficiaries of the government Social Amelioration Program (SAP) who were lining up to get their cash aid were arrested here for violating the government’s safety protocols to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The violators were apprehended at around 11 a.m. on Saturday after they were caught in several accredited payout centers in the city center not observing physical distancing while waiting for their turn to get their emergency cash aid, Police Lieutenant Colonel Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, said in a report.
The suspects were later released after the booking and filing of corresponding charges.
“There was no more room for them inside the jail,” Albacea explained why they were immediately freed.
But the violators will still have to secure a police clearance as the charges against them were recorded.
In April, SAP aid recipients here also caused authorities and residents to worry when an estimated 9,000 individuals gathered during the final day of the listing process and disregarded safety protocols.
The SAP is designed to help the poor survive the loss of livelihood during lockdowns enforced to stop the coronavirus transmission.
/MUF
For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.
