Cancellation of quarantine passes in Cebu City a ‘good move,’ Palace says

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu City’s order to cancel all quarantine passes issued to some of its 250,000 residents is a “good move,” Malacañang said Wednesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said allowing many people to go out of their houses will defeat the purpose of placing the city under the strictest quarantine measure.

“I think it’s a very good move. Because Cebu City has a population of 900,000 and if I’m not mistaken, there are at least 200,000 quarantine passes. A good quarter of the city has quarantine passes,” Roque said in an interview over ANC.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered the cancellation of all quarantine passes starting Tuesday night.

Central Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro said quarantine passes are canceled “until further notice” after it was observed that a lot of people still go out on the streets.

“I suppose they’ll have to issue new ones to ensure that only one from every household will get a quarantine pass to get the essentials,” Roque said

“The point being made is just it’s too many, it’s a quarter of the residents of the entire city that’s allowed to go out. That defeats the purpose of an ECQ [enhanced community quarantine],” he noted.

Cebu City has so far recorded at least 4,400 coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19) cases. It is the only city in the country under enhanced community quarantine until June 30.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to oversee the government’s COVID-19 response in Cebu City after an increase in its coronavirus infections.