Thousands of policemen will be deployed and hundreds of checkpoints will be set up in various areas in Metro Manila as the uniform implementation of curfew in the metropolis starts today, March 15.

The Manila City Hall clock tower is seen illuminated with colorful lights display (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, Officer-In-Charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) alone will be deploying more than 9,600 of its personnel on the streets as early as the scheduled start of curfew time at 10 p.m.

"We will also be deploying additional personnel to augment the NCRPO policemen and assist the local government units of Metro Manila in the implementation of the uniform curfew," said Eleazar.

A unified curfew will come into force in Metro Manila starting today to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its variants.

Metro Manila mayors have agreed to implement unified curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the National Capital Region (NCR) as the country continues to record surges in COVID-19 cases.

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of 17 local chief executives in Metro Manila, adopted Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution No. 21-03 S. 2021 implementing common curfew hours for the whole NCR on March 15-March 31, 2021.

Eleazar said the augmentation will come from the Highway Patrol Group and the Camp Crame-based Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF). He said additional person nel will be tapped anytime if there would be a need for more policemen.

He added that policemen are expected to man the more than 373 checkpoints that will be set up in various strategic areas of Metro Manila while the rest would either go on foot patrol or conduct mobile patrol operations.

"The mission is plain and simple: All police forces will strictly implement the uniform curfew hour from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will ensure that minimum health safety standard protocols are observed,” Eleazar said.

He said police visibility has been proven to be effective in compelling the people to behave, similar to what happened in Metro Manila in April last year when they deployed Special Action Force commandos, and in Cebu in June.

The two test cases of police visibility resulted in the significant decline of apprehended violators, significant reduction in crime, and eventually a decline in COVID-19 cases.

Eleazar said those who will be deployed to enforce the curfew and quarantine protocols will be subjected to pre-deployment briefing on the curfew rules and regulations and the existing policies on the implementation of quarantine protocols.

Exempted

According to the PNP, the following are exempted from the implementation of the uniform curfew hours in Metro Manila:

Medical practitioners, nurses, ambulance drivers and other workers of Medical Facilities while on their way to and from work;
Attendants of other persons dealing with an emergency medical situation;
Persons who are obtaining emergency medical assistance for themselves or for other persons;
Drivers of delivery trucks while on their way to deliver essential goods/products;
Owners, vendors, and other persons involved in the transport and delivery of es-
sential goods;
Private employees such as call center agents while on their way to
and from work;
Construction workers while on their way to and from work;
Media practitioners while performing their job;
Persons who are travelling to or from airport prior to or af-
ter a flight;
Drivers of private transportation used as shuttle services while on their way to and from work;
Members of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other emergency responders;
Security guards; and,
Employees of open fast foods (take-out only)

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) welcomed the decision of the Metro Manila mayors to set a unified curfew hour, which it deemed as “a necessary measure to address the spike of COVID-19 cases.”

Aside from the unified curfew hours, other policies such as the imposition of granular lockdown, strict implementation of health protocols and standards, intensified testing, contact tracing, and isolation are currently being implemented.

Pooled efforts, resources

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso yesterday reminded barangay officials to strictly enforce the unified curfew hours in Manila and other minimum health protocols.

In a memorandum dated March 12, Domagoso said barangay officials must also promote physical distancing and the wearing of face masks and face shields among the public.

"We were together in relentlessly fighting the COVID-19 virus for over a year now. By pooling together efforts and resources, we achieved remarkable milestones along the way in mitigating, if not preventing, the transmission of this dreaded virus, while at the same time keeping our city's economy afloat," the memorandum read.

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III issued Executive Order No. 7 which changed the curfew hours in the municipality from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. as agreed upon by the Metro Manila mayors.

While other local government units in Metro Manila will start implementing the new curfew hours today, Ponce said the Pateros municipal government “has seen it fit to immediately implement the longer curfew hours to promptly address the problem especially since the other local governments in the NCR have started implementing the same.”

In Navotas City, residents who will be caught violating curfew hours and health protocols will be required to undergo RT-PCR tests as a penalty under City Ordinance No. 2021-17.

In Makati City, the unified curfew will also be implemented starting today, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Exempted from the curfew are essential workers.

Lawyer Don Camiña, Makati City spokesman, said Mayor Abigail Binay was able to easily change the curfew hours due to an existing ordinance giving her the power to do so amid the pandemic.

In Pasig City, Mayor Vico Sotto said that “in light of the recent surge of cases in the region and the emergence of variants of COVID-19 in the country, let us all remain vigilant and compliant with all health protocols.”

The local government of Quezon City will implement emergency measures, protocols and liquor ban anew starting today, March 15, to curb the local transmission of COVID-19, according to Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Belmonte issued the guidelines that will take effect March 15-31 that cover workplaces, public areas, and business establishments as well as strict compliance with the public safety hours, health protocols in workplaces, mandatory use of the Kyusi Pass digital contact tracing app, and the reimplementation of a two-week liquor ban.

In Marikina City, Mayor Marcy Teodoro said he will strictly implement the unified curfew hours.

In Muntinlupa City, the City Council is expected to pass today an amendment to an existing ordinance to change the curfew hours from 12 a.m. – 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. to conform with the MMC’s decision.

Different curfew hours in Las Piñas, Pasay

Even as the MMC came up with unified curfew hours, residents of Las Pinas City and Pasay City were confused as their respective cities issued Executive Orders (EOs) for curfews ending at a different time.

In Las Piñas City, in a Facebook post on its official page, the city said that the Las Piñas City Council approved the new curfew hours, similar to Pasay City’s, from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. This took effect on March 12.

In Pasay City, an EO was signed by Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano on March 11 imposing curfew hours from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. which “shall take effect immediately upon signing.”

Pasay City Police Chief Cesar Paday-os said they will follow the city’s EO.

Liquor ban

Metro mayors have yet to decide whether the liquor ban will be imposed in the NCR, MMDA Chair-
man Benhur Abalos said on Friday,March 12.

Abalos said the possible reimposition of the liquor ban will be discussed in their next meeting.

In Manila, although no liquor ban was declared, barangay officials were tasked to enforce City Ordinance No. 5555 that bans drinking in public places.

In the Municipality of Pateros, Mayor Ponce ordered that “effective 10 p.m. on March 13, 2021, there shall be a town-wide ‘liquor ban’ thereby prohibiting the sale, purchase, and consumption of all kinds of liquor and intoxicating beverages within the municipality.” This will be in effect until March 31.

The OCTA Research Group on March 11 urged LGUs to impose a liquor ban anew amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Metro.

Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos issued Memorandum Order 02, Series of 2021 in accordance with MMDA Resolution 21-03, Series of 2021.

Last March 10, Mandaluyong City placed Zones 4, 5, and 9 in Block 41, Brgy. Addition Hills under granular lockdown due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Localized lockdowns were also enforced in parts of Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, and Makati cit-
ies.

Trust the mayors

Vice President Leni Robredo appealed to residents of Metro Manila to trust the decision of their mayors to impose a uniform curfew saying this will be helpful in curbing the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

In her radio program, the Vice President said she was aware that Filipinos online are thinking that imposing a curfew will not do anything to address the spike in COVID-19 cases.

She, however, trusted that the local chief executives of Metro Ma-
nila know what they are doing.

"May tiwala naman ako sa mayors, eh. Para sa akin, yung mayors ang nakakaalam ng sitwasyon on the ground (I have faith in the mayors. For me, they are the ones who truly know the situation on the ground)," she said Sunday.

"Magbigay na tayo ng tiwala sa mayors kasi hindi naman ito hihilingin kung hindi sa kanila mahalaga (Let us have faith in the mayors because they won't ask for the curfew if it is not important)," she added.

Robredo particularly cited how Metro Manila mayors deferred the reopening of cinemas that was allowed by the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Infectious Diseases last month.

MMDA Chairman Abalos said people of all ages will be covered by the curfew order except essential workers who are on duty, or who will be going to or coming home from work during the curfew hours.

Penalties for the violators will depend on the different local government units.

(Reports from Dhel Nazario, Minka Klaudia S. Tiangco, Allysa Nievera, Patrick Ely G. Garcia, Jel Santos, Joseph Pedrajas, Jonathan Hicap, Jean Fernando, and Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)

Aaron Recuenco & Jaleen Ramos

Unified curfew in NCR takes effect today