Fewer violators caught as quarantine ordinance takes effect

A portion of the Katipunan Street in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City has been closed while police personnel continue to monitor those going out of their houses on Thursday, June 25, 2020. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There are fewer health protocol violators in Cebu City as the City Ordinance 2566 or the ordinance penalizing quarantine violators takes effect on August 16.

This is the assessment of most of the Cebu City Police Office Police Station commanders of the 11 police stations in the city after only 5 quarantine violators were caught today, August 16.

Police said that this was a big drop from the usual 100 violators caught on the first day of the general community quarantine implementation.

Cebu City is under GCQ, which was extended until the end of the month.

Read: Cebu City remains under GCQ until August 31

In Barangay Labangon, Police Captain Jonathan Dela Cerna, Labangon Police Station commander, said they apprehended one violator for not having a quarantine pass. 

Read: Labella to dad: Amend measure against quarantine violators

Dela Cerna said that the city ordinance might have scared the public especially since violators of the ordinance would have to pay a big penalty or fine.

“So far nakatabang siya, kay nigamay naman ang mga violators. Sa akong nakita usa na lang karon among nakuha. Dako syag impact kay naa naman guy penalty, basin nahadlok na ang mga tawo,” said Dela Cerna.

(So far the ordinance helped because there are now fewer violators. As far as I know, we only caught one violator. So impact of the ordinance is really big and because of the public might have been scared of violating the ordinance because of the bigger penalty.)

Read: Quarantine violators in Cebu City to be charged starting Aug. 16

Meanwhile in the areas under the Carbon Police Station, policemen also caught only one violator for failing to present a quarantine pass.

Police Captain Alvin Llamedo said that it was also helpful that the Carbon public market was closed on Sundays which had limited the number of people going out.

However, Llamedo said that they were expecting more people on Mondays of which they were preparing for especially now that the city ordinance was in effect.

He said they would be conducting more foot patrols near the market.

Police Major Jonathan Taneo, Talamban Police Station commander, for his part, said that they were intensifying their information campaign about the ordinance today.

He said they considered this day as a humanitarian consideration to give people time to be informed about the new policy.

He said that few people on streets and the residents of Talamban were cooperative even on the previous days.

“Gipahingusgan nato karon ang information operation aron makabalo ang mga tawo aning bag-ong balaod nga gi impose sa City… para by Monday or Tuesday, well-versed na sila sa bag-ong balaod. Kay basin inig dakop sa ila ma shock na sila nga ma priso na gyud sila,” said Taneo.

(We are intensifying today our information operation so that the people would know about the new law which is imposed by the city… so that by Monday or Tuesday, they will be well-versed on the new ordinance. Because they might be shocked when we start to implement the law because they will go to jail for the violation.

But starting Monday, August 17, 2020, all the station chief of the 11 Police Stations warned that they would no longer be giving considerations to those who would still be found violating the protocols.