55 quarantine violators in Biñan made to walk 5 km to temporary detention shelter

BIÑAN CITY, Laguna - The city's Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) apprehended 55 persons who violated the curfew and were caught without face masks in Barangay Langkiwa on Thursday (July 2).

The violators were ordered to walk five kilometers from Langkiwa to the city's temporary detention shelter in Barangay Dela Paz.

POSO Chairman Rommel Lim told Manila Bulletin that having the violators walk to the detention shelter is part of their process.

"Hindi naman siya parusa. Ino-observe kasi natin yung physical social distancing kaya sila pinaglalakad. Kasi 'pag sa sasakyan, pinapatupad natin ang social distancing, pero nagdidikit-dikit din sila (It wasn't a punishment. We're only observing physical distancing. With a vehicle, even if we impose physical distancing, they still sit close to one another)," Lim said.

During the journey, violators were ordered to hold on to a rope to ensure proper physical distancing.

Violators were given a lecture at the detention shelter where they spent the night. They were penalized with community service this morning. 

Despite Laguna being under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Biñan struggles to curb the spread of the virus.

"Patuloy ang pagdami ng mga nagkakaroon ng COVID sa atin (The number of our COVID-19 patients continues to increase)," Mayor Arman Dimaguila said in a Facebook live session on Thursday.

"Ang problema po ngayon, lahat halos ay local transmission... Ang kailangan lang po talaga ay distancing at face mask, wala naman pong bago eh. Ang bago po is marami pong hindi sumusunod, (The problem now is, almost all cases were acquired through local transmission. All that's needed are distancing and wear face masks, there's nothing new. The only thing that's new is that many people are disobeying)," Dimaguila rued.