CEBU CITY, Philippines — Charges for disobedience will be filed against four foreign nationals who were arrested on Friday, May 1, 2020, for loitering the streets of Barangay Poblacion in Carcar City without wearing the required face masks.
The four also did not have quarantine passes, said Police Corporal Argie Noel Espinoza, desk officer of Carcar City Police Station.
Aside from violating provisions of the enhanced community quarantine, the four were also going around Barangay Poblacion in beach attire. The woman in the group was only wearing a bikini while her three companions were topless, Espinoza said.
The arrested individuals were identified as Emanuele Fiureneintine Frongia, 31; Kydine Baynes Hasty, 25; Daniel Roache, 25; and Veronica Grk, 22.
Frongia is an Italian national while Hasty and Grk are Americans. Roache is an Australian national.
“Kabalo man gyud siguro sila sa balaod pero mura man sila ug wala gatuo nga seryoso ta mao gi dakop nato,” said Espinoza.
(They probably know our local regulations but it seems that they are not taking these seriously, the reason for their arrest.)
Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, Espinoza said that the group of friends was renting a farmhouse in Barangay Can-asujan for five weeks now. Their flights back home were canceled because of the ECQ implementation.
Espinoza said that the group was spotted loitering in Barangay Poblacion at around 7:20 a.m. on Friday.
Policemen who were stationed in the area immediately approached the four and brought them to the police station for an interview and profiling.
They have also called their respective embassy’s to inform embassy officials of the arrest of their nationals.
Espinoza said that the four will remain detained at the detention facility of the Carcar City Police Station pending the filing of disobedience complaints against them. / dcb