AS the number of persons accosted by the police for violation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) guidelines continue to rise, Joint Task Group Corona Virus Shield chief Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Monday warned those who have been arrested and charged in court may find themselves staying longer in jail.
Eleazar, the PNP deputy chief for operations, said courts are closed and cannot set bail for those who have been charged in court.
“We have an online inquest but there is no online detention. This means that they have to stay in jail until the courts reopen to process their bail,” said Eleazar.
President Duterte has extended the Luzon-wide ECQ until April 30. It was originally set to end on April 12.
Eleazar noted that a total of 108,088 persons have been accosted by the police for violation of the ECQ in Luzon and in parts of Visayas and Mindanao covering the period March 17, when the Luzon-wide ECQ started, up to April 12.
Of the number, Eleazar said 26,130 were arrested; 4,969 were fined; while 76,989 were merely warned.
Most of the offenders are from Luzon where 64,946 violators were nabbed, followed by Visayas with 23,863 violators, while Mindanao registered 19,279 violators.
Eleazar said 8,068 vehicles were also apprehended and 680 persons were arrested for hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of prices during the same period.
Eleazar reiterated his appeal to the public to remain in their houses if they have nothing essential to do outside of their homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
He said the sacrifices that the public has done over the past 28 days will only go to waste if people will continue to go out of their houses and violate home quarantine and social distancing rules.
MANILA’S BOXING MATCH
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno on Monday asked officials of the Parola compound in the Tondo district to explain why they allowed a boxing match to be held Sunday night in their area of responsibility despite the ECQ prohibition against mass gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Moreno said he received a video footage of the boxing match from an unnamed concerned citizen. The footage showed that boxing match was initiated by a man who used the alias “Gigi.”
“All the officials are given already the opportunity to explain why they conducted such event which is highly prohibited sa sitwasyon natin. So, any assembly — sports, religious, sugal, hindi natin papayagan (All the officials are given the opportunity to explain why they conducted such event which is highly prohibited given the present situation. So, any assembly — sports, religious, gambling are not allowed),” Moreno said.
Over the weekend, an irate Moreno went to barangay 129 of Caloocan City to arrest barangay chairman Brix John Rolly Reyes, and councilmen Alfie Lacson, Romualdo Reyes, and John Cris Domingoor for leading a “tupada” or illegal cockfight inside the Manila North Cemetery last Good Friday.
He failed to arrest the barangay executives but gave them 48 hours to surrender. The officials surrendered to Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan, who turned them over to the Caloocan City Police Station who brought them to the Manila Police District on Saturday night.
Formal charges are being readied against the barangay officials. — With Raymond Africa
