By Genalyn Kabiling

The national government expects the local government units (LGUs) to help enforce the quarantine rules in subdivisions and residential buildings, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) Nograles said local government officials must implement the quarantine regulations issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in communities to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Nograles, also spokesman of the IATF, noted that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will also keep tabs on the local government units. "'Yung implementation is up to the LGUs, nasa responsibility ng mga LGUs to enforce whatever directives na binibigay ng IATF or ng mga patakaran ng mga LGUs based din do sa guidelines ng IATF (The implementation is up to the LGUs. It's the responsibility of the LGUs to enforce whatever directives issued by the IATF or the rules of the LGUs based on the guidelines of the IATF)," he said during a virtual press briefing on Tuesday when asked how the government will enforce quarantine rules in residential buildings and subdivisions. Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año reminded condominium owners that they cannot make their own rules as the country is under a state of public health emergency and a state of calamity. He said the policemen in Taguig City actually responded to a call from the city government complaining about some residents violating the quarantine rules in the common area. Asked if the police are authorized to go inside subdivisions and residential buildings to enforce the quarantine rules, Nograles deferred to Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez, also the chief implementer of the national policy against the coronavirus pandemic, and the DILG to address the matter. "We will leave that to the Chief Implementer, together with the DILG kasi sa kanya iyong jurisdiction ng mga kapulisan together with the LGU (because he has jurisdiction over the police together with the LGU)," he said. "Sila po iyong nagko-coordinate as far as enforcement of laws are concerned at kasama rin po iyong enforcement ng mga ordinances and executive orders ng LGUs (They coordinate as far as enforcement of the laws is concerned and that includes enforcement of ordinances and executive orders issued by LGUs)," he said.