ILOILO – Village chiefs remiss of their duty to enforce the ban on mass gatherings may face arrest.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. affirmed President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning of sanctioning barangay captains who cannot stop “super spreaders” in their jurisdictions amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Large gatherings that include fiestas, birthday parties, weddings and the like are possible triggers of local transmission, according to Defensor.
Yesterday, Western Visayas recorded its highest number of daily infections to date – 628. Of these new cases, Iloilo province had 114, data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 showed.
The region also recorded yesterday it second highest number of COVID-related daily deaths –14. The highest number of COVID-related daily deaths so far was 19 recorded just this Tuesday, May 25.
Defensor said he is involving the barangay captains “100 percent kay sila ‘na nakahibalo sang activities sang pumoluyo.”
“For failure to perform your obligations, may sanction man ang aton laye that’s why amo ‘na ang pronouncement sang aton Presidente,” Defensor said.
He added: “As what we have been doing for the past several weeks, damo kita sang mga memorandum nga ginapapanaog sa mga barangay. The directive is to implement sa barangay level ang (prohibition on) social gatherings (such as) fiestas. Gina-remind gid sang aton local taskforces ang aton barangay captains, so ginahimu na ina naton sia.”
How are barangay captains doing so far?
“They are doing well… Gina-monitor ko ‘na sila,” Defensor said. “May nakita ako nga mga tarpaulins sa barangay nga nakabutang suno sa executive order sang province.”
The governor, however, admitted it is challenging to implement such ban in far-flung and COVID-free areas. Mobility there is relaxed compared to urbanized areas, he noted.
Earlier, Duterte said failure to enforce the law, particularly community quarantine restrictions, is considered a neglect of duty and punishable under the Revised Penal Code.
“Talagang ang unang ipakulong ko ‘yong barangay captain having committed a crime of dereliction of duty under the Revised Penal Code,” Duterte said. “Kasi barangay captains kayo, persons in authority tapos wala kayong gawin, hindi kayo tumutulong sa national government. (If) you are not doing anything then I will order your arrest.”
“If you (village chief) are really worth your status there, kung ayaw ninyo, umalis kayo…I’m ordering the police to arrest the barangay captain and bring him to the station, investigate him for being a derelict, of dereliction of duty having failed to enforce the law,” he added.
On the other hand, Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city government has since prohibited large gatherings in the metro.
“Strikto kita subong diri sa syudad and wala gatherings,” Treñas said.
As to Duterte’s order to arrest erring village chiefs, “that is a presidential order and will be followed,” he told Panay News.
Of the 628 new COVID-19 cases recorded yesterday, Iloilo City had 91.
PRO-6 ON STANDBY
For their part, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said they will arrest negligent village chiefs as soon as they receive corresponding guidelines from the national police headquarters.
“We have to implement kung may guidelines. Though we can operate naman through the dereliction of duties pero mas maganda kung may guidelines. Pero sa tingin ko kaya ng mga kapitan na ipatupad na walang mass gatherings sa areas nila,” said PRO-6 director Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda.
Pending the order from Camp Crame, Miranda is asking the cooperation of barangay officials and the public so that no arrest would take place.
“Sundin lang sana natin ang health protocols so that we can contain the spread of the virus. Iwasan muna ang mass gatherings, parties and picnics kasi walang ma-arrest at ma-detain if we follow the health protocols. Stay at home muna,” Miranda told Panay News./PN
