More than 3,000 people were either arrested or warned during the first day of the implementation of the uniform curfew hours in Metro Manila, police reported on Tuesday, March 16.
Based on the data of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), a total of 547 people were also warned and were advised not to violate the curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The Manila Police District (MPD) recorded the most number of arrest with 1,139 followed by the Southern Police District (SPD). with 310. SPD covers Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasay and Pateros. There were no reported arrests in other parts of Metro Manila.
The Eastern Police District (EPD), which covers Marikina, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Pasig, reported that they fined 139 people while the SPD reported that 521 violators were fined. The Quezon City Police District, on the other hand, has the most number of violators fined at 668. Only EPD and SPD reported that they just warned some violators--251 violators in EPD and 296 in SPD.
More than 9,000 police personnel were deployed in the streets of Metro Manila to man hundreds of checkpoints and conduct patrol operations to compel people not to go out for unnecessary movement from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The uniform curfew hours was implemented amid the rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the past days.
Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, Officer-In-Charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), earlier appealed to the Metro Manila residents and workers to cooperate to prevent any unnecessary confrontation with the police.
He said the policemen were already advised to observe maximum tolerance and to respect the rights of the public.
But he also appealed to the public to respect the rules on curfew and minimum health safety standard protocols and to respect the authorities enforcing the rules and protocols in order to ensure the smooth implementation.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana described the first day of the uniform curfew hours implementation as successful.
"There were no significant incidents reported so I think the first day of the implementation is successful, peaceful and orderly one," said Usana.