Photo from the Quezon City Government Facebook page.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help enforce the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the city, which accounts for about a quarter of Metro Manila’s population and the highest number of Covid-19 cases.
Belmonte made the request after a series of meetings with officials of the AFP’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
She said the military could help man checkpoints and ensure social distancing in wet markets.
“Malaki ang maitutulong ng AFP sa pagpapatupad ng mga patakaran sa ilalim ng enhanced community quarantine,” she was quoted as saying in a press release.
“With additional uniformed personnel, the public will be deterred from going out, and the city’s enforcement of home quarantine and social distancing will be greatly strengthened,” Belmonte said.
Belmonte had stopped retail selling at the Balintawak markets because people did not observe safe distancing.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday warned local governments to enforce quarantine rules.
“There seems to be a lack of uniformity in the matter of enforcing the distance rule, ‘yung social distancing,” he said in a broadcast aired Monday night.
Duterte vowed to go after local officials who did not follow government directives.
“Kayong mga mayors, huwag kayong maglaro kasi ang ayaw ninyo mag-social distancing mapipilitan ako puntahan kita at arestuhin kita. Ayaw kong mag-aresto ng mayor,” he said.
He also warned medical facilities, particularly government hospitals, against turning away patients, citing a patient in Cabanatuan City who died after being refused admission by six hospitals. (PressOne.ph)