MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Close to 400 individuals were arrested in Lapu-Lapu City in the last two days for violating government regulations imposed while the city remains under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Mayor Junard Chan said the refusal to heed his Executive Order No. 2020-048-H could land violators in jail.
“Puno na ang atong mga hospital sa mga symptomatic patients. Mura mapuno na pod ang atong mga detention cells ani tungod sa mga violators,” Chan said in a Facebook post, Saturday night, June 20, 2020.
(Our hospitals are now filled with symptomatic patients. It seems that even our detention cells will also be filled with violators.)
Personnel of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) and the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) rounded up a total of 372 violators in the last two days, from June 19 to 20.
EO No. 2020-48-H which Chan signed on May 22, requires the wearing of face masks and the implementation of home quarantine, liquor ban, number coding for private vehicles, and mass gatherings among others.
Section 12 of the EO says that “violation of any provision of this order and other earlier Executive Orders issued in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, shall be subject to penalty pursuant to existing national law and local ordinances.”
“Doble na ang pagpangusog sa atong mga kapulisan nga ipatuman ang mga lagda sa atong Executive Order No. 2020-048-H,” Chan.
(The police are doubling their efforts to ensure the implementation of Executive Order No. 2020-048-H.)
Chan earlier expressed alarm on the rising COVID-19 cases in his city.
Read: Lapu-Lapu City’s COVID-19 cases now ‘alarming’ – Chan
On its own, the city government will not be able to win its battle against the deadly infection, he said.
“Kooperasyon ug disiplina ang akong kanunay nga panawagan. Wala akoy pagkulang sa pagpahimangno kaninyu. Dili ko kapuyon nga balik-balikon kini hangtod nga magmatngon ang tanan sa mga angayng buhaton para maluwas kitang tanan. Ato kining gibuhat para gihapon sa atong kaayuhan,” he said.
(I have been repeatedly appealing for your cooperation and show of discipline. I was never remiss in constantly reminding you. And I will continue to remind you until such time that you will learn to also practice what needs to be done to free us of this crisis. We are doing this for our own good.)
Chan said that contracting the infection is not easy.
“Sama sa akoang gisulti pag-miaging adlaw, dili ti-aw ang nagkasaka nga kaso sa COVID-19 sa atong syudad nga imbes ako, nataptan usab niini. Sa akong nasinati, ako maka-ingon nga dili sayon kung ikaw mataptan sa maong sakit hilabi na nga sa tibuok adlaw nga anaa ka lang sa isolation ug layo ka sa imong pamilya. In fact, mao kini ang unang higayon nga mag-celebrate ako sa Father’s Day ugma nga wala ang akong pamilya,” Chan said.
(Like what I said in the past days, the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our city is not a joke that even I has contracted the virus. As per experience, I can say that it is not easy once you get the infection especially since you will have to be isolated and be away from your family. In fact, this is the first time that I will be celebrating Father’s Day without my family.)/dbs