BACOLOD City – Persons under monitoring (PUMs) who defy quarantine rules for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be file with appropriate charges, the City Legal Office (CLO) here warned.
Some could be held liable for “multiple violations” such as non-cooperation under the law on mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and the quarantine law, and resistance and disobedience to a person in authority, according to CLO head Joselito Bayatan.
“Not follow the national policy in the time of COVID-19 crisis is already a violation” Bayatan pointed out.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran announced that most of the PUMs earlier tagged “nowhere to be found” were now coordinating with his office and the City Health Office (CHO).
He gave an ultimatum to the PUMs to coordinate with the CHO or the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team or they would be publicly named.
Familiaran said he was subsequently flooded with text messages from PUMs, including those who were not yet issued clearances by the CHO after completing their 14-day home quarantine.
As of April 6’s record of the CHO, Bacolod City had 2,355 PUMs; of these, 1,974 already completed the mandatory 14-day home quarantine./PN
