THE League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to defer to November 1 the implementation of the alert level system of quarantine in areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR).
LPP President and Mariduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. made the appeal yesterday when the alert level system took effect in Negros Oriental and Davao Occidental (Alert Level 4); Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Siquijor, Davao del Norte and Davao City (Alert Level 3); Batangas, Quezon, Bohol, Cebu, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Lucena City, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City (Alert Level 2).
While they await response to their appeal, Velasco said governors will implement the IATF resolution that expanded the implementation of the alert level system outside Metro Manila, which shifted to Alert Level 3 last October 16 after a month of going under Alert Level 4.
“IATF said it’s effective October 20, you know we have to follow…. In the meantime, we are appealing to defer it (implementation). That’s why we’re explaining to the public, explaining to the IATF (why) we need to defer it,” said Velasco.
Velasco said aside from the need to explain what the alert level system is to their constituents, local chief executives also need to craft executive orders on the change.
“People are used to the old community quarantine system, this is something new, this alert levels. This should be properly disseminated or explained to the people by us since we are the ones who are going to implement it,” said Velasco.
“We are just requesting for more time to craft executive orders and most importantly explain it properly to the people the regulations that will be implemented in every province since we are in different situations,” he said.
Velasco said implementing the system in areas outside NCR a day after it was announced by the IATF may led to confusions, noting that it’s hard to relay information in the provinces, specifically in far-flung areas where people have no internet access or television.
“It’s not right to implement it immediately. We think we should implement it on November 1 so we will have sufficient time to meet with our task force COVID,” said Velasco.
He said LPP members were invited to attend meetings on the possibility of expanding the alert level system of quarantine to the provinces but claimed they were not informed on when it would be implemented.
“That’s why I’m surprised this (announcement) came out and it’s going to take effect immediately, its implementation is the following day,” Velasco said, adding the LPP has no copy of the IATF resolution.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, asked to comment on the LPP’s appeal, told a radio interview: “We understand the situation of the provinces, especially the island provinces.”
Año said the alert level system has to be implemented in the provinces “so we can focus on community transmission through granular lockdown while economic activities continue.”
Año said the DILG, Department of Health, and PNP representatives will meet this Friday with select governors and mayors to ramp up vaccination in different local government units.
He said the vaccination rate in Metro Manila is around 80 percent while areas outside NCR are still at 18 to 30 percent.
Año said vaccination will be ramped up in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Davao region, followed by other areas.
Año also asked candidates in next year’s elections to take measures to prevent mass gathering amid the continuing threat of COVID-19.
“These candidates should adhere to (health) protocols. We know, especially the popular ones, may cause mass gathering or superspread events,” Año said.
Two presidential candidates, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, went to the provinces last week, attracting large numbers of people.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said the Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals and Court of Tax Appeals may now hold in-court proceedings on urgent matters from October 20 to October 29.
This was contained in a circular dated October 18 signed by Acting Chief Justice Estela Perlas Bernabe, who said the urgency of the cases the appellate courts can hear during the said period will be determined by the presiding justices or the justice who head the court’s division where such case is lodged. — With shzel Hachero
“In-court attendance shall be limited to lawyers, parties and witnesses required to participate. All others who are not required to be in-court but wish to observe the proceedings may do so through videoconferencing,” the circular said.
