Department of the Interior and Local Government Central Visayas (DILG-7) Director Leocadio Trovela issues show cause orders against five barangay chiefs in Cebu City due to reported ECQ guidelines violations committed by their residents. | Photo courtesy of DILG-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) issued show-cause orders against five village chiefs in Cebu City following reports of public gatherings in their areas despite being under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela issued the show-cause orders for Basak Pardo Punong Barangay Catalina Cabardo, Cogon Pardo Punong Barangay Harry Eran, Sto. Niño Punong Barangay Lourdes Ramirez, San Nicolas Proper Punong Barangay Clifford Jude Niñal, Guadalupe Punong Barangay Michael Gacasan, and the members of their Sangguniang Barangay.
Residents of Barangay Basak Pardo were reported to be gambling in one of the interior roads of the village. DILG said this was in violation of the Republic Act (RA) No. 9287, otherwise known as “An Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Numbers Games Amending Certain Provisions of PD 1602 and for Other Purposes,” and the prohibition on mass gatherings.
Barangay Cogon Pardo residents, meanwhile, were reported to be playing basketball outside their houses despite the prohibitions on public gathering and sports activities done in groups and in public.
In Barangay Sto. Niño, residents, including children, were reported to be outside their houses without face masks, ignoring protocols on strict home quarantine, mandatory stay at home order of persons below 21 years old and prohibition on mass gathering.
Similarly, in Barangay San Nicolas Proper, the rice distribution was conducted along the barangay road and beyond the curfew hours, compromising the welfare of the constituents and disregarding the strict home quarantine measure implemented during ECQ. Some residents were seen without wearing face masks and did not follow the protocol on social distancing.
In Barangay Guadalupe, various residents were seen singing and drinking on a vacant lot, engaging in a cockfighting activity in a separate incident, and crowding a poultry place without face masks.
The aforementioned incident ignored the protocols on minimum public health standards (wearing of face masks), strict home quarantine and prohibition on mass gathering.
On July 4, the city’s police also intervened in one of these illegal public gatherings in Guadalupe.
Officials were given 48 hours from receipt of the order to submit their written explanation on why they should not be charged for failure to perform the mandated duties and functions of a local chief executive during a state of a national health emergency.
Last week, DILG-7 served show-cause orders on officials of Barangay Basak San Nicolas, Calamba, and Inayawan.
DILG-7 said their efforts are in line with the pronouncement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año that any violation of the quarantine protocols will not be tolerated. /bmjo