Public know ECQ rules but continue to violate them — PRO-7 survey

With more violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Cebu City, the police and military are deploying more personnel (as shown above) to help implement stricter ECQ rules and keep more people off the streets. | Alven Marie Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Gahi gihapon ang ulo.” (They continue to be hard headed or stubborn.)

This was the statement of Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, weeks after the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) where the number of arrested violators had continued to grow.

Ferro said this pushed for deployment of more policemen and augmentation of military personnel to implement stricter ECQ rules including wearing of face masks, social distancing and allowing only Authorized Persons Outside their Residence (APOR) to be out on the streets.

“Especially that we have critical areas here in Cebu City… based on our survey, some of those who were arrested know the do’s and dont’s of ECQ. Kabalo sila pero gahi talaga ilahang ulo ba (They know but they are just stubborn [and continue to violate the ECQ rules]),” said Ferro.

Read more: Kaohsiung buses as ‘briefing cells’ for ECQ violators

Ferro added that majority of those arrested for violating the ECQ did not have any valid reason to go out, and some just wanted to loiter around, bearing with them the information about the regulations they should have been following under the ECQ.

However, Ferro said that Cebu City or the whole Central Visayas were not the only ones facing the issue of the public’s disobedience of ECQ regulations because it had been happening to other regions as well, which led the Philippine National Police (PNP) to implement stricter rules as per the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.

At least 800 police and military personnel were deployed this morning, April 17, 2020, who were given a directive to conduct foot patrols and checkpoints that would help limit persons going out of their houses./dbs