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MANILA, Philippines — The “shoot to kill” threat against quarantine violators of a Quezon City local government official is “improper and illegal,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government said.
QC local government’s Task Force Disiplina official Rannie Ludovica posted on his Facebook account that those who will violate the modified enhanced community quarantine will face shoot-to-kill policy. He later took it down but not before Rappler reported his post.
In a statement on Tuesday, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said they advise Ludovica “to desist from issuing similar statements in the future.”
Malaya, also the DILG’s spokesperson, reminded department heads of LGUs that they must be “circumspect in their social media posts since this may be mistaken by their constituents as official LGU policy.”
Discipline as measure against spread of COVID-19
Malaya also said that while they believe in discipline as a preventive measure to deter the spread of the coronavirus, “this must be enforced within the bounds of the law.”
Public officials have long banked on the narrative that Filipinos are “pasaway”—or are stubbornly ignoring quarantine guidelines—and are to blame for the rising COVID-19 infections in the country. Data from tech giants Google LLC and Apple Inc. however refute this.
Malaya, in the same statement, also said that the DILG will not tolerate abuses of local government officials and penalties imposed on quarantine violators “must be within the bounds of their respective ordinances.”
The DILG official also said that QC Mayor Joy Belmonte disowned Ludovica’s post “saying that it should not be taken literally” and that it “was merely an expression of frustration over the growing number of violations” in the city.
The QC Government, on its Facebook page, listed reminders for its citizens as the city returns to MECQ status. Among these are staying at home; liquor ban; no public transportation except tricycles; no mass gathering; no dine-in and presentation of quarantine pass or work ID at checkpoints.
It does not include a shoot-to-kill policy.
Ludovica meanwhile pinned the blame on Rappler for reporting on his now-deleted “personal” Facebook post and accused the online news site of being malicious.
He also clarified that the Quezon City government does not have a shoot-to-kill policy.
Rappler, for its part, stood by its story and said if the local officer insists that their reporting was malicious, “then he should either avoid making irresponsible statements or quit.” — Kristine Joy Patag
Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.
Follow this thread for updates on COVID-19 risk levels, safety measures, and data from Metro Manila's local government units.
Photo: The STAR/Michael Varcas
MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia says Metro Manila mayors have agreed to close all cemeteries on All Saints' Day as a precaution against the coronavirus.
Garcia adds the mayors will meet Sunday night for the guidelines of the implementation of this decision.
Cemeteries in San Juan City will be closed from October 30 to November 3 as a precaution against COVID-19.
San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora says he signed an executive order for the temporary closure of all public and private cemeteries in the city. All halloween activities will also be banned.
"Ito po ay para sa kabutihan at kaligtasan ng lahat," Zamora says.
MRT-3 will be resuming its operations on Wednesday, August 19, as Metro Manila ends its modified enhanced community quarantine status.
This announcement comes after President Rodrigo Duterte declared that Metro Manila and, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan will revert to a more relaxed general community quarantine.
MAHALAGANG PAALALA
— DOTr MRT-3 (@dotrmrt3) August 18, 2020
Balik-operasyon na ang mga tren ng MRT-3 simula bukas, 19 Agosto 2020, matapos i-anunsyo ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte na isasailalim muli sa General Community Quarantine (GCQ) ang National Capital Region (NCR). pic.twitter.com/xamUADv6EZ
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announces that the local government passed an ordinance waiving all regulatory fees for private schools until face-to-face classes are allowed.
"We know private schools are having a difficlut time too, and some are in danger of closing. Many of their students can't afford tuition anymore," Sotto says.
The local ordinance also includes extension of scholarship fund to 3,000 indifent private school students.
1. Passed an ordinance waiving ALL regulatory fees for private schools until face-to-face classes are allowed;
— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) August 16, 2020
2. Extension of Scholarship Fund to 3,000 indigent private school students. the schools will help us identify the beneficiaries.
[Mtg w PAPRISA & our parochial school] pic.twitter.com/gaHQbTwbk0
The government of Quezon City is considering to place at least 25 villages inder special concern lockdown for being COVID-19 hotspots, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles says.
Nograles, co-chairperson of the inter-agency task force on COVID-19, says they have agreed with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on a six-step approach to address the pandemic.
"Quezon City has already been doing special concern lockdowns to control transmission," he says in an interview with ANC's "Headstart".
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