House Deputy Majority Leader Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo is open to stricter quarantine protocols this holiday season when Filipinos are expected to be out and about despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Actually the entire country is still under community quarantine, just under different levels or kinds of quarantine with some places under GCQ and most places under MGCQ. I strongly support that we remain and continue to be under community quarantine," he said.
"If the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) determines that a more stringent community quarantine is necessary during this holiday season, I would support that too," added Romualdo, a member of the House Committee on Rules.
GCQ means general community quarantine, while the less stringent MGCQ means modified general community quarantine.
Before this, different parts of the country underwent the strictest protocol, an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), for successive months in a bid to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
"Keeping our COVID-19 cases down so as not to overwhelm our health facilities and lead to needless deaths should always be our top priority," stressed the Mindanao lawmaker.
Earlier this month, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque branded as "fake news" the rumors of a nationwide lockdown that would supposedly be implemented from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3.
Despite Roque's pronouncements, there are still people in and out of the House of Representatives who are calling for a "holiday lockdown" if only to prevent a huge spike in COVID-19 infections at the start of 2021.
"For me, GCQ and MGCQ is already sufficient," Romualdo said. "The question always is implementation, whether LGUs (local government units) actually implement and enforce the IATF guidelines to the letter."
Metro Manila, Batangas, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Lanao del Sur, Iligan, and Davao City will remain under GCQ until Dec. 31, based on an earlier declaration by President Duterte. The rest of the country is under MGCQ.
There have been over 452,000 COVID-19 cases recorded since the pandemic began this year. At least 8,833 people have died, while over 419,000 have recovered from the disease.
"The important thing really is implementation," Romualdo said.