MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said that people who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) would only be asked to return home and will not be jailed.
Unvaccinated individuals are mandated under the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) resolution to remain in their homes at all times, except when purchasing essential goods and services such as food, water, medical services, public utilities, and work.
Many business leaders, medical groups, and organizations have been pushing for the restrictions to be implemented nationwide amid the spike in infections and the threat of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
He mentioned that checkpoints were set up to limit the mobility of unvaccinated people amid the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases, which are thought to be caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
“Ang ating mga barangay captains at mga kapulisan ay magsasagawa ng mga checkpoints. Kung ikaw ay hindi bakunado, pauuwiin ka, ‘yun lang naman. Pero kung ikaw ay magre-resist ay talagang sapilitan kang iuuwi (Our barangay chairmen and the police will set up checkpoints. If you are unvaccinated, you will be asked to go home, that’s all. But if you resist, you will really be forcibly brought back home),’’ Año said in a television interview.
He did, however, say that arresting defiant unvaccinated people by barangay officials must be a “last resort” and should be imposed “within the bounds of the law”.
Meanwhile, Año has warned that those in possession of falsified vaccination cards may face charges.
“Yes. Pupuwede na siyang hulihin diyan sapagkat caught in the act siya na meron siyang dala dala na fake na document (Yes, they can now be apprehended there because they were caught in the act of being in the possession of fake documents),’’ said Año.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police also reported that 85 areas across the country are under granular lockdown — 76 in the National Capital Region, five in Mimaropa, two in Cagayan Valley, and one each in Ilocos and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Based on the most recent PNP data, the Northern Police District has jurisdiction over 14 areas, and one each for the Manila Police District and Southern Police District.
About 188 members of the PNP and 216 force multipliers are working together to make sure that lockdown and quarantine rules are followed.
Due to an increase in coronavirus infections, Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna have been placed under Alert Level 3 until January 15.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported 28,707 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, the highest in a single-day tally since the pandemic began in March 2020.
In Metro Manila, 16,803 new infections were recorded, accounting for 59 percent of all new infections, bringing the country’s active caseload to 128,114, and the overall caseload to 2,965,447.
