CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – In order to contain and prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Pampanga, the Pampanga Police Office announced this afternoon, (Friday), the total lockdown of the province.
Col. Jean S. Fajardo, Pampanga provincial director, said beginning Friday, the Philippine National Police will be implementing a total lockdown that will effectively restrict and limit the movement of people.
She also said the PNP will start recalling home quarantine passes (HQP) issued by the barangays in Mabalacat City and Magalang town as well travel passes issued by these mayors.
But HQP that were already issued will remain valid until recalled, she added.
Fajardo said they discovered that some HQPs are fake while some were for sale and some were issued to multiple persons in one household, to senior citizens or to pregnant women while others were blank.
Fajardo said the chief of police in each town should be included as signatory in the HQPs together with the barangay chief and laminated before being given to home owners.
Fajardo, who was joined by provincial board memberAtty. Ananias Canlas Jr. in the virtual press conference on Facebook live, said jails in Pampanga have already been filled up and overwhelmed by numerous violators of the curfew hours thus the need to restrict and limit people on the streets.
She said around 500 have been arrested so far since the start of the ECQ who were either violators of the liquor ban and curfew while some even yielded guns.
Fajardo said the PNP is forced to implement the lockdown after due consultation with the governor because of the wanton disregard of the enhanced community quarantine.
She also disclosed that some policemen are now persons under investigation (PUIs) but refused to give further details saying only the Department of Health has the authority to make such announcements.
She said about 900 policemen are deployed in the field or about 80 percent while the rest are manning police stations as a skeletal force.
Canlas, who represented Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda said the lockdown is not in violation of existing laws since it is meant to protect the majority of the population from the dreaded pandemic. The lockdown is a restriction in terms of movement and travel to prevent the spread of the pandemic, he said.
Basic needs and essential items are readily available said Canlas as he assured the public that markets, supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, ATMs will remain open but regulated.
Meanwhile, Canlas said the governor has signed a memorandum of agreement with at least one lodging facility in the city for the use of frontliners and health workers.
He said the provincial government is assessing the situation daily and closely monitoring what’s happening. He said the provincial government has downloaded rice distribution to the barangays in the province.
