The director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) did not allow residents of Greater Metro Manila to do cross-border travel in cities within the general community quarantine bubble or "GCQ bubble" on Monday (March 22) although both the national and the Quezon City government said otherwise.
Police personnel deployed at the border of Quezon City and Rizal province, which are part of the "GCQ bubble," on Batasan Road are prohibiting residents from crossing the border if they are not authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) or are not essential workers, Brig. Gen. Danilo Macerin said.
"Tinitignan natin kung talagang APOR sila. Kung hindi naman ay pinagsabihan natin na babalik nalang sila sa kanilang pinanggalingan (We're verifying if they are APORs. Otherwise, we'd tell them to return to where they came from)," he said over DZRH while at the border.
Macerin said he even asked bus conductors and drivers to check their passengers' identification cards (ID) to prove that they are APORs.
Macerin's order is contrary to Malacanang that said there should be unimpeded travel within the bubble. The other areas under the GCQ bubble are thel other cities and the lone municipality in the National Capital Region, and the nearby provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna.
"Pupwede kayong bumiyahe anywhere freely between Metro Manila and these provinces pero hindi pupwedeng lumabas, hindi puwedeng pumasok (You can travel freely between Metro Manila and these provinces, but to go outside for other provinces is not)," Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference on Sunday.
Even the spokesman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said there should be no restrictions within the bubble.
"These are considered one bubble, the NCR+," retired military general Restituto Padilla Jr. told reporters.
Macerin also said that even "Quezon City no longer allows Rizal residents," especially those who "do not have essential reasons."
"Ang ginagawa natin ay pinababalik natin sa kanilang mga pinanggagalingan sa San Mateo or sa lalawigan ng Rizal (What we do is we ask them to return to San Mateo or Rizal)," the QCPD director said.
Read more: Motorists, commuters stuck at QC-Rizal border on first day of ‘GCQ bubble’