(Niño Jesus Orbeta/INQUIRER filephoto)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) may consider easing checkpoints in Metro Manila for the rest of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period if only few will be found violating the protocol allowing people to go out to fetch authorized persons outside of residence (APOR).
The PNP recently allowed people to fetch APORs to and from their workplaces during the two-week ECQ in Metro Manila following a public backlash on the earlier policy prohibiting the same.
“We will observe during the first two days of this implementation and kung makita natin na talagang very minimal ang violations dyan, then at the rest of this ECQ period huwag na tayong magcheck dyan,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told ABS-CBN News Channel on Friday.
(We will observe during the first two days of the implementation if people are following the protocol and if we see that there are very minimal violations, then for the rest of the ECQ, we may not check all vehicles.)
Eleazar said that if only few non-APORs are found violating the policy during the first two days of ECQ, the police will just concentrate its efforts in securing vaccination sites and checking if people going to certain establishments are following health protocols.
“Kasi kung wala naman o konti lang ang nagva-violate, hayaan na natin ‘yan, obserbahan na lang natin. Wala nang checkpoint para wala nang hassle ang traffic natin. But the point is, if during this day or tomorrow we will see a lot of motorists na nagva-violate nito ay wala tayong magagawa kundi magcheck,” he continued.
(If there are minimal violators, let us just observe the situation. There will be no checkpoint so that there will be no traffic buildup. But the point is if during this day or tomorrow we notice a lot of violators, we cannot do anything but to continue checking.)
Eleazar pointed out that non-APOR who will fetch a working APOR should secure a certificate of employment of the worker that also indicates the name of the driver or fetcher, the plate number of the vehicle to be used, and contact number of the employer; as well as a copy of the business permit of their company.
He noted, however, that APORs who will fetch fellow worker APORs are not required to present the said requirements.
ECQ in Metro Manila starts this Friday, August 6, and ends on August 20.