The Iloilo Police Provincial Office is ready for the implementation of the municipal and provincial border quarantine that will take effect in the province from June 4 to 18.
“All of our personnel are now ready for deployment. We are just waiting for the proper time when to start and we do hope that people will understand the situation because there is going to be an inconvenience and it will not be comfortable for commuters along the national road,” IPPO director, Col. Gilbert Gorero, said in a phone interview yesterday.
He added they will implement two quarantine control points, to include the provincial and the municipal boundaries.
“We are on full alert status,” he said.
The province will use its resources as Gorero said the region’s personnel will focus on Iloilo City, where around 500 were sent to assist the Iloilo City Police Office.
Iloilo City is currently under the modified enhanced community quarantine.
He added that this is not new since quarantine restrictions were also observed when the province was on enhanced community quarantine.
However, the challenge would be when people refuse to understand because the province is currently under modified general community quarantine, yet there are restrictions being imposed.
“Their understanding is very important, much more that we are in a situation when we are preventing the wide spread of the coronavirus. This is just a simple proactive measure of the government,” he added.
The implementation of the municipal quarantine is provided for under Executive Order 175, issued by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., to limit non-essential travels within and into the province.
Under the order, only Authorized Persons Outside of Residence, returning residents, and overseas Filipino Workers are allowed to travel.
APORs working in government shall secure travel orders/itineraries issued by their office while those in the private sector are required to present similar documents issued by their company or employer.
Those working or doing business in other livelihood sectors may present any valid government ID and proof of work or business.
Returning residents are required to present any valid government ID as proof of residence.
Gorero said they will maximize their resources and will ask for the support of force multipliers in areas where they could not cover.
“It is not a checkpoint that we are doing. What we are doing is to prevent the movement of the people, thus we will not allow anyone to pass without the travel pass,” he said.
He added that all doubtful documents will be subjected to validation, and charges will be filed against those caught with fake travel passes.
As of June 2, Iloilo province has 1, 558 active Covid-19 cases out of its 8,108 cumulative cases. It has 198 deaths and the rest are recoveries.*PNA
