Cebu City PROBE apprehended more than 500 violators on the first day of the General Community Qauarantine on August 1, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of PROBE
CEBU CITY, Philippines — An ordinance giving five days in jail and at least P2,000 fine to those who will be caught violating the general community quarantine (GCQ) protocols may help lessen the high number of violators.
Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said he planned to suggest this idea to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella should there be more arrests for the violating the GCQ protocols in the coming days.
In an interview with reporters this morning, August 2, Ligan said that if the city would pass this ordinance for stricter penalties of violators, then the public might be discouraged to keep on going out and violate the protocols.
“In that way naa gyud imprisonment and P1,000-P2,000 fine. So in that aspect sa penal provision, kinsa pa man ganahan mogawas-gawas nga imohang violation no face mask mapriso ka pila ka adlaw, mobayad paka P2,000. Kung mapasa na nga ordinance, I guess it will help. Dako gyud matabang ana,” said Ligan.
(In that way, there is imprisonment and P1000 to P2,000 fine. So in that aspect of the penal provision, who would want to go out if your violation for not wearing a face mask is imprisonment of a few days, payment of P2,000 fine. If the ordinance will be passed, I guess it will help. It will greatly help us.)
Read more: CCPO chief reminds public about the importance of staying home
Just last Saturday, August 1, 2020, on the first day of the GCQ status of Cebu City, CCPO reported a total of 355 GCQ violators. Ligan said most of those arrested did not have quarantine passes.
All the arrested persons were turned over to the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team in charge of the punishments that will be imposed against them.
However, Ligan assured that they would be filing a case for violation of the GCQ protocols against all those individuals especially since some of those arrested were repeat offenders./dbs
Read: 520 violators; more people in malls on 1st day of GCQ in Cebu City