The Philippine National Police (PNP) has started crafting guidelines on the implementation of the barangay-level enforcement of the mandatory wearing of face masks and other quarantine rules as part of the government strategy to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the joint Task COVID Shield, said the guideline would be cascaded to each of the designated barangay police supervisors who were tasked to lead the barangay security officers, or barangay tanod, in the implementation of quarantine rules against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).
Among the initial proposals being considered to implement the quarantine rules are: the prohibition of large gatherings for birthday and other celebrations; ban on drinking sessions especially along the streets; holding of fiesta and sports competitions and other activities that would violate the rules on mass gathering and physical distancing.
“As Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año (has) said, there should be a uniform guideline that would be implemented in all the barangays in order to synchronize the efforts of the national government and the Local Government Units (LGUs) in our fight against COVID-19,” said Eleazar.
He said the police Quarantine Rules Supervisors (QRS), or the PNP COVID Focal Persons, will supervise the barangay tanod in the implementation of the guidelines. A QRS could supervise a barangay cluster in cases wherein police personnel of a city or municipality are not enough to cover the entire barangays in a city or town.
“We will also be giving police commanders the authority to adjust the implementation of the guidelines depending on the prevailing situation on the ground,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar explained that the strict enforcement of quarantine rules at the barangay level was based on the orders of President Duterte.
He stressed the need for the barangay-level enforcement amid reports of frequent violations of quarantine rules that include drinking sessions among the neighbors that use a single ‘shot glass’, card games and other forms of gambling among neighbors, celebrations of birthdays and even gossiping.
Based on social media posts, Eleazar said a number of people are also observed not wearing face masks while roaming around their respective communities.