MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now ready to assist in the pilot implementation of granular lockdowns and quarantine alert level system in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting on Thursday, as ordered by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The NCR Police Office (NCRPO) personnel have already been instructed to familiarize the IATF-EID guidelines and to continuously coordinate with the local government units of Metro Manila for the imposition of the rules, and even for required modifications, according to PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.
“Handa na ang inyong PNP sa pagpapatupad ng mga bagong patakaran alinsunod sa guidelines na inilabas para sa enforcement ng granular lockdown at quarantine alert level system sa Metro Manila (The PNP is ready to implement the new rules in accordance with the guidelines issued for the enforcement of the granular lockdown and quarantine alert level system in Metro Manila),” Eleazar said in a video message on Wednesday.
The PNP “shall ensure peace and order at all times, and that security protocols are maintained in lockdown areas,” based on the IATF-EID pilot test guidelines released last Monday.
“We are continuously coordinating with the LGUs in Metro Manila for proper enforcement of these rules—from the identification of areas that would be placed under lockdown up to the distribution of assistance to the affected residents,” Eleazar said.
The shortened curfew hours that will be observed once the NCR transitions to Alert Level 4 with the imposition of granular lockdowns on September 16 are part of the security adjustment, according to Eleazar.
He stated that policemen should collaborate with barangay officials in enforcing the curfew period.
Eleazar also urged the people to participate and observe all the rules and regulations that will be imposed under the alert level systems and granular lockdowns, aside from the curfew hours.
He also urged policemen to practice maximum tolerance and only enforce what is particularly specified in the guidelines, emphasizing that violators should never be punished.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año previously stated that places under granular lockdown must adhere to the restrictions for two weeks in order to avoid the spread of Covid-19, especially the Delta variant.
This will be accomplished, he said, through intensive testing, contract tracing, and separation of positive especially asymptomatic cases, identification of their close contacts, and putting them in quarantine for 14 days.
In locations under granular lockdown, only healthcare workers and returning and departing overseas Filipino workers will be recognized as Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR).
