PNP ready to enforce possible hard lockdown —Eleazar

 

Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Thursday said the national police organization is ready to implement the proposed hard lockdown as COVID-19 cases rise.

In a statement, Eleazar said the PNP will enforce the quarantine restrictions that the local governments and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will impose.

“Hindi na bago sa inyong PNP ang anumang uri ng quarantine restrictions kaya makakaasa ang lahat ng aming kahandaan kung ano man ang ipag-uutos ng ating IATF at mga lokal na pamahalaan,” he said.

(Any set of quarantine restrictions is not new to the Philippine National Police. That is why you can trust our preparedness whatever the IATF or local government units will order.)

National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said the national government is open to imposing a hard lockdown to prevent the spread of the more transmissible Delta coronavirus variant.

The business sector also welcomed the suggestion.

Also, the OCTA Research group proposed a “circuit-breaker” lockdown in Metro Manila amid the rising cases of the disease.

Eleazar instructed police commanders to continue implementing quarantine rules set by the IATF, and to closely coordinate with LGU for possible adjustments in quarantine measures.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila mayors want to impose stricter quarantine measures, MMDA chairperson Benhur Abalos said.

Abalos added that the mayors will still push for stricter measures even though the IATF already announced maintaining the general community quarantine in the capital region.

The mayors are considering the idea of a two-week enhanced community quarantine -- the strictest quarantine status -- to curb rising COVID-19 cases, only if financial aid will be provided to affected residents.

“Mamaya magmi-meeting kami ng IATF. Haharap ulit ako to petition that…Baka akala niyo nabalewala 'yan. No.  'Yan pa rin ang position ng mga mayor,” Abalos said.

(We will have a meeting with the IATF later. I will face them again to petition that. You might think that our previous statement became null. No. It is till the position of the mayors.)

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the IATF recommendation to extend the GCQ with heightened restrictions in Metro Manila from August 1 to 15. 

 

This article PNP ready to enforce possible hard lockdown —Eleazar was originally published in GMA News Online.