Labella reminds foreigners to follow local rules

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella calls out a Canadian national who was apprehended for violating quarantine protocols. | Screenshot from video courtesy of Cebu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is reminding foreigners here that they must follow the rules and regulations in the city.

During his inspection of quarantine violators currently undergoing community service at the Plaza Independencia on Thursday, August 6, 2020, the mayor chanced upon a Canadian national who was among those apprehended.

The Canadian national said he did not know that he needed a quarantine pass to go around the city that was why he was apprehended.

He joined the violators who were attending a seminar on the importance of following quarantine protocols. He was also set to join them do five houes of community service as penalty for their violations.

Labella told him that despite of being a foreigner, he should familiarize himself with the rules of the city and abide with it especially during the quarantine.

“When we are in Canada, we follow the law in Canada. But you are in the Philippines, so you have to follow the law in the Philippines,” the mayor told the Canadian in a video shared on the Cebu City Public Information Office page. The Canadian wasn’t identified in the video.

Addressing the rest of the violators, Labella reminded them that they will only undergo community service once.

If they should be apprehended again, they will have to pay the fine of up to P5,000 and/or be jailed up to a year.

Labella urged the public to follow the simple quarantine rules because the city cannot afford another spike in COVID-19 cases that could mean a return to an Enhanced Community Quarantine status. /bmjo

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