154 GCQ violators arrested in Minglanilla town

The first-time offenders were made to pay a fine of P300 each

Police Major William Homoc, chief of the Minglanilla Police Station, address violators of the general community quarantine (GCQ) guidelines. | Photo from Minglanilla Police

CEBU CITY, Philippines –Policemen in Minglanilla town arrested a total of 154 individuals on Thursday and Friday, respectively, for leaving their homes without wearing the required facemasks and for their failure to practice social distancing.

The violators were brought to the police station for some reminders on the need to comply with guidelines implemented while Cebu remains under general community quarantine (GCQ) and were asked to pay the fine of P300 before they were all allowed to go back home.

The payment of the fine was based on a municipal ordinance that was passed on June 24 that fixes a P300 fine for first-time offenders.  A  fine of P500 is collected from second offenders while a third offense will already require the payment of a much bigger fine amounting to P5, 000.

Police Master Sergeant Christopher Cesa of the Minglanilla Police Station said they have observed that many of their town residents continue to defy especially the mandatory wearing of face masks despite constant reminders.

“Maybe they want to just violate the rules or they have reasons unknown to us,” said Cesa.

Cesa warned that they will continue to enforce arrests until such time that town residents would already learn their lesson.

Read: In Minglanilla, 93 individuals caught for violating GCQ guidelines

On Thursday, June 25, police arrested 93 individuals while 63 more were arrested the next day.

All of those arrested were first-time offenders, Cesa said.

But their names were already uploaded on the police station’s database so that they will already have an existing record of these individuals should they again defy GCQ guidelines. / dcb