Task force sets stricter lockdown enforcement

MANILA, Philippines — The joint Task Force COVID Shield will be stricter in enforcing moderate lockdown protocols following reports of abuse in exemptions granted to authorized persons outside of residence (APOR).

JTF COVID Shield commander Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Sunday that observation and reports from policemen manning quarantine control points showed a number of APOR who exploit their exemption from the community quarantine to defy the ban on nonessential travel.

Eleazar said the Philippine National Police had ordered its personnel manning quarantine control points to “scrutinize the IDs and other documents being presented by the essential workers, particularly on the home address and place of work, in order to determine whether or not the travel is essential.”

“The main and only reason behind the exemption from community quarantine is for them (APOR) to go to their places of work because the nature of their jobs is essential to provide the basic goods and services to our people under community quarantine, and for them to go back to their homes,” Eleazar said.

“However, we have been receiving reports from our personnel on the ground that there are some abuses committed since those given exemption are using it to travel anywhere they want and anytime they want which are basically violations of the existing quarantine rules,” he said, adding that the abuses often resulted in heated verbal confrontations at the quarantine control points manned by PNP personnel.

The JTF COVID Shield commander pointed out that community quarantine exemption is given only for work-related purposes as well as to enable one member of a household to get hold of essential goods and services.