Garganera apologizes for premature release of locked down sitios’ list

Councilor Joel Garganera says that the list of sitios to be locked down was prematurely released. | CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in the city, apologized to the public for the premature announcement of the supposed to be lockdown of sitios in six barangays today. 

Mayor Edgardo Labella’s Facebook released an Executive Order detailing the areas to be placed under lockdown for the first day implementation of the granular lockdown. 

Read more: Granular lockdowns in Cebu City starts Saturday

These include Sitio Eyha in Barangay Guadalupe, Balaga Drive to Sitio Cekalco in Barangay Labangon, Tuada Compound in Barangay Tisa, Sitio San Isidro and Abellanosa Compound in Barangay Quiot, and C. Mina Extension of Barangay Mabolo.

The post was later removed as the Cebu City Public Information Office said the areas were still to be approved by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force in Central Visayas (RIATF-7). 

“As to this announcement made in the FB of the Mayor disclosing the list of sitios to be locked down, I would like to say that in the first place, they did not have the clearance to disclose the same at this time. As agreed by the different agencies like the police, Liga ng Mga Barangays, Department of Interior and Local Government, and IATF, the concerned sitios should have been the first one to know, and not through social media post. That was the agreement. I am very sorry for this,” said Garganera. 

The councilor said that supposedly the EOC-IATF wanted for the intervention measures to be put in place first before announcing the said list. 

Read more: Garganera named IATF deputy chief implementer for Cebu City EOC

He said the premature disclosure would only make the EOC, Barangays, and PNP’s job more difficult due to the panic it might cause the residents. 

“I am very sorry for this. I will not make excuses for their mistakes. In the first place, I vowed myself to support the barangays, City Health Department, and the police in this because they are the most vital bodies in this fight,” the councilor added. 

He urged the sitios to remain calm and to follow the instructions of the barangays as they would be placed under lockdown today. 

The official list of the sitios to be placed under lockdown will also be released this afternoon. /dbs