63 persons rounded up for violating the no-swimming policy in Metro Cebu

Talisay City Police arrested a total of 28 individuals today, April 12, 2020, who were caught swimming in beaches and rivers amid the prohibition of such activities. | Photo Courtesy of Talisay City Police

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 63 persons were arrested today, April 12, 2020, by the police in Cebu City, Talisay City, and Lapu-Lapu City, for swimming in public and private beaches and pools in relation to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The Talisay City has the most number of violators with 28 persons, followed by Cebu City with 20 and Lapu-Lapu City with 15 as of 5 p.m.

Police Major Gerard Ace Pelare, chief of Talisay City Police said they have been reminding the public about such prohibition while the province is under ECQ.

However, there are still those who blatantly violate the law despite adequate information dissemination by the police, Pelare said.

“For some it seems convenient to just violate the law,” said Pelare.

Because of this obvious disregard of the law, Pelare said the police will double their efforts in enforcing the implementing rules of the ECQ and arrest violators.

Meanwhile, Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said he has directed his men to detain violators for at least 12 hours to teach them a lesson, aside from filing the necessary charges against them.

Read: Six people arrested for swimming at SRP Baywalk

However, the minors who were caught will not be detained, but their parents must be made to answer for their mistakes, Pelare said.

In Lapu-Lapu City, the 15 persons caught this afternoon, were all brought to the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) where they will be detained until they are able to pay the P1,000 penalty.

Police Colonel Clarito Baja, chief of LLCPO, said that if the arrested violators have a previous record of violating the ECQ, they will to pay a higher fine and face additional charges based on their latest violation/s.

As the ECQ around Cebu province enters its third week, the police have one appeal to the public and that is to stay home and stop violating the laws if they don’t want to spend the rest of the quarantine days in jail or waste their money on penalties.

But the worst part of not following the quarantine rules, the police said, is that they might be infected with the deadly COVID-19. /rcg