People allowed to pass control points for medical, humanitarian reasons
POLICEMEN manning Quarantine Control Points in NCR Plus will now allow persons whose travel is health-related and for other medical reasons to cross the strict border control points set up amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said.
The top cop explained that persons travelling for health and other medical-related reasons, along with those whose travels are related to family emergencies are classified as Other APORs or
Authorized Persons Outside Residence and thus would be allowed to cross borders in Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Quezon and Bulacan.
APORs are generally classified into two main groups, the Worker-APOR who are allowed to go out and cross borders for being an employee of businesses and industries permitted under the ECQ and the Customer-APOR who are allowed to go out and avail of the goods and services of the businesses and permitted industries but are prohibited to cross borders.
Gen. Eleazar said the other APORs are persons travelling for medical and humanitarian reasons.
“Kasama sa other APORs ang mga kababayan nating may appointment sa mga doktor at yung mga kababayan nating kailangang umuwi dahil namatayan ng immediate family members, o may manganganak na asawa at iba pang mga kadahilanan na parte ng ating kulturang Pilipino,” he explained.
“Hindi pipigilan ng ating kapulisan ang pagtawid ng mga may scheduled medical check-up sa ibang siyudad at ng maghahatid sa kanila,” Gen. Eleazar added.
The PNP chief said that crossing a border for persons requiring emergency treatment would always be allowed especially if the condition cannot be treated within the locality due to the unavailability of medical facilities.
“Pati ang mga naka-schedule magpabakuna sa ibang siyudad ay makatatawid sa mga border dahil alam naman natin na may mga LGUs (Local Government Units) na nagbabakuna ng mga empleyado ng mga kumpanya na located sa kani-kanilang mga lugar,” he said.
According to the top official, policemen manning QCPs have been advised by the Joint Task Force COVID Shield headed by PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lieutenant Gen. Israel Ephraim T. Dickson to allow persons under the “other APOR” category to cross borders.
“May mga guidelines na tayong nailabas tungkol dito at alam na ng ating mga PNP personnel ang kanilang gagawin,” he said.
In allowing those who would cross borders for medical check-up and other health-related reasons, PGen Eleazar said that it was based on the assumption that most of them have family doctors or trusted physicians who are based outside the LGUs where they live.
However, he reminded the public anew to continue observing the quarantine rules especially on unnecessary travels.
“Ang layunin ng ECQ ay para malimitahan ang paglabas ng mga tao at maiwasan ang lalong pagkalat ng COVID-19,” he pointed out.
Gen. Eleazar said that the daily infection rate is currently averaging at 10,000 new COVID-10 cases which is an alarming trend.
“Kaya kung wala naman tayong mahalagang lakad o kaya ay puwede naman ipagpaliban ang lakad ay mas mabuting manatili muna tayo sa ating mga bahay habang ECQ,” he said.
