Any kind of food legitimately delivered is essential, says PNP

A screengrab of this viral video shows a female barangay officer in Bulacan wrongfully interprets the exemptions under the enhanced community quarantine rules. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Any kind of food that is legitimately being delivered is considered as essential goods, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday after a delivery rider was wrongfully stopped by a barangay official in Bulacan for making deliveries during curfew hours.

The PNP said delivery of food to an individual within the areas of Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal, which are currently placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), must not be hampered, more so penalized by the local government units (LGUs) manning checkpoints.

“The position of the PNP is that ANY KIND OF FOOD that is legitimately delivered upon orders by residents during the period of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in the NCR bubble is considered as part of essential goods,” the PNP said in a statement.

“We say again, unless for any other reason in violation of law, the delivery of food to a requesting party on quarantine at their residence is essential and must not be subject to issuance of LGU-sanctioned ticket done within the NCR bubble,” they added.

The PNP said the public may seek assistance from the nearest police station should there be similar complaints or other kinds of abuses in the future for authorities to impose appropriate action.

On Wednesday, a viral video showed a delivery rider being stopped by barangay officials in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, for making food deliveries during the 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew.

The barangay official claimed that the rice porridge or “lugaw” is not a necessary item and that people can survive without it, thus, prohibiting the rider to deliver the food despite exemption from the ECQ rules.

The female barangay officer even gone to the extent of erroneously schooling the rider about what’s essential and not in the food delivery service while holding a printed copy of the rules.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said that “lugaw” and any food products are considered essential goods and their delivery should remain unhampered.

JPV