The Department of the Interior and Government (DILG) ordered Monday, Aug. 30, to conduct an intensified contact tracing of on-lookers which flocked the scene during a recent hostage taking incident in Caloocan City as fears of massive infection of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was raised.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the incident resulted to an unnecessary mass gathering and clustering of people so he instructed the local government unit (LGU) to locate those who were present during the incident.
The DILG chief gave the order even as local authorities assured the crime scene was immediately cleared of bystanders when the responding policemen arrived.
Last Aug. 28, police arrested Anthony Soriano, 32, after he suddenly held hostage a male teenager along C-3 Road in Barangay 14.
The victim was just walking on the road with his family when the suspect grabbed and pointed a knife at him. The incident drew a large crowd.
Responders eventually subdued Soriano and brought him to the police station.