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Eleazar: Be patient, please bear with us as we fight COVID-19

September 13, 2021 Alfred P. Dalizon 344 views

EleazarPHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar yesterday appealed anew to the nation to unite and fully understand the government decision to defer the enforcement of the granular lockdown in Metro Manila.

Gen. Eleazar ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) leadership headed by Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. to ensure that their men are well-informed of the new guidelines under the alert level system of the COVID-19 quarantine classifications that will be enforced in Metro Manila.

The new guidelines for these quarantine classifications have already been provisionally approved, he said.

“Now that the guidelines for the quarantine alert system was already issued, I have tasked our police commanders in Metro Manila to make sure that all police personnel on the ground are fully informed of what is allowed and not permitted for each quarantine alert level,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“Before September 16, NCRPO units should have coordinated with LGUs to determine the quarantine alert in their areas of responsibility so they could effectively enforce the granular lockdowns,” he added.

The top cop said they are already 100 percent ready to assist local government units in implementing the pilot-testing of the granular lockdown in Metro Manila beginning Wednesday.

Gen. Eleazar said he has instructed Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander and PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lieutenant Gen. Israel Ephraim T. Dickson and Danao to coordinate their security preparations for the granular lockdown with LGUs in the metropolis.

Members of the NCRPO’s five districts will be in charge of implementing the lockdown.

The top cop maintained they will continue to strictly implement all health and safety protocols in the metropolis and other parts of the country amid the continuing rise of COVID-19 cases.

Gen. Eleazar however said that in doing so, the cooperation and understanding of the public are the biggest factors in the goal of containing the spread of the virus.

“Iba-iba man ang pangalan at iba-iba man ang mga alituntunin sa bawat klasipikasyon ng quarantine sa ating bansa, nanatiling tatlo ang mabisang formula upang labanan ang pagkalat ng nakakahawang coronavirus na ito— ang ibayong pag-iingat para sa ating mga sarili, ang pagmamahal sa ating pamilya at ang malasakit sa ating kapwa,” he said.

“Ibayong pag-iingat ang ating gagawin lalo na kung tayo ang inaasahan ng ating pamilya at siguradong hindi din maatim ng ating konsensya na tayo pa ang maging instrumento ng pagkakahawa ng ating mga kaiibigan, kapitbahay at ka-trabaho na inaasahan din ng kani-kanilang pamilya,” he added.

The National Capital Region shall remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until September 15, Wednesday. The pilot testing of the granular lockdown in Metro Manla was also deferred.

Gen Eleazar sought the public’s cooperation in observing minimum health standards as well as the quarantine protocols. He also urged the public to get vaccinated whenever possible.

“Sa gitna ng patuloy na pagdami ng kaso ng COVID sa ating bansa, ang ating pagkakaisa at malawak na pang-unawa ang kailangan upang maitawid natin ang seryosong hamon ng pandemya na kinakaharap natin ngayon. Mananatiling kaagapay ninyo ang inyong PNP sa pagharap sa hamong ito,” he said.

More or less 9,000 policemen are currently supervising and manning 942 Quarantine Control Points (QCPs) in the country. In Metro Manila, almost 1,000 policemen are currently deployed in 34 QCPs.

More than 158,000 people were accosted for violating minimum public health safety (MPHS) in Metro Manila alone from August 21 to September 7. They include violators of the rule on the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields and physical distancing.

A total of 61,890 were accosted for violating the curfew while 13,735 were accosted for violation of the ban on non-essential travels.

In the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna, a total of 609,344 people were accosted for violation of the MPHS while 147,862 were accosted for curfew violation. A total of 36,513 were also accosted for defiance on the prohibition for non-essential travels

Gen. Eleazar underscored the importance of coordination with LGUs on the new guidelines, saying it is also a way of helping the healthcare workers who have been at the frontline of COVID-19 response for more than a year now.

“Masyadong bugbog na ang ating mga health care workers sa mahigit na isang taon nating pakikipaglaban sa COVID-19 at nakita ko mismo ito sa sitwasyon ng mga medical frontliners sa aming hanay,” he emphasized.

“Kailangan nila ng tulong at reinforcement sa laban na ito at ito naman ang pakay ng mga alituntuning ipinapatupad ng ating pamahalaan upang huwag nang lumala ang pandemyang ito,” he explained.

Among the provisions of the new guidelines are that under Alert Level 4, which is the highest risk classification, dine-in, personal services, and mass gatherings are not allowed.

Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) will also be limited to healthcare workers and returning and leaving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), which means that even government officials residing in areas that would be under localized lockdowns would not be allowed to go out.

Gen. Eleazar appealed for cooperation and understanding on these new regulations, noting that it is for the health and safety of everybody.

“Humihiling tayo sa publiko ng kaunting pang-unawa at pakikisama sa mga panuntunan na ipinatutupad ng pamahalaan dahil na din sa patuloy na banta ng COVID-19. Kailangan itong gawin para pangalagaan ang ating kaligtasan at kalusugan at upang mapigilan ang lalong pagkalat ng coronavirus,” the PNP chief said.

Some LGUs in the National Capital Region, however, have already implemented granular lockdowns in their respective areas.

Based on PNP data, there are 51 barangays in Metro Manila which are currently under granular lockdown or the so-called Special Concern Area Lockdown (SCAL) wherein local policemen guarding the SCAL areas are fully implementing the rules on the wearing of face masks and face shields and mandatory physical distancing, the unified 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.curfew and prohibiting affected residents from crossing the designated barriers/roadblocks.

“Ang pagpapatupad ng granular lockdown ay solusyon na nakikita ng ating pamahalaan na balansehin ang pagbubukas ng ekonomiya at ang kontrolin ang pagkalat ng COVID-19. Sinusuportahan ito ng inyong PNP,” Gen. Eleazar said.

The national government ensured that it would support LGUs in giving food assistance to residents that will be affected by the granular lockdown.

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