Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Isko Moreno challenged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to file charges against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials after people flocked to the Manila Bay dolomite beach.
“I am calling the IATF. Charge those people in DENR of violating our rules. If we cannot implement it within their offices, then there is no point to implement this sa mga taong bayan,” Moreno said during an interview with ANC.
Moreno explained that the DENR failed to coordinate with the city government about the reopening of the dolomite beach.
“Dapat yung mga nagpapatupad din sa national government ay may kusang palo din na sumunod. Binuksan nila, eh hindi naman kami in-inform,” he said.
“Due diligence must be observed, especially in this situation wherein it can be a superspreader,” Moreno added.
DENR Undersecretary Benny Antipordasaid they received a letter from the city government showing its support to the Manila Bay rehabilitation. The city government also asked for safety guidelines in the dolomite beach.
“The documents that we received last night (sic) is asking us on our plans and what are the strategies that we’re using in trying to control the crowd,” Antiporda said during a Palace briefing.
“So very ano pa nga, very supportive pa ho ‘yung letter niya and the letter started with…’We are in full support of the project of the DENR.'”
Antiporda also noted that the issue on social distancing was solved by permitting only 400 people, with each visitor can only stay for five minutes.
“In every single time dahil po sa laki ng lugar na ‘to – it’s more than 1-hectare ano po – hindi po lalagpas ng 400 iyong tao. Then since magkakaroon na po ng pila sa labas, ang ginagawa po namin immediately pinapakiusapan namin after 5 minutes pagbigyan po natin ‘yung next batch.” Ronald Espartinez