Army beefs up security force in Iloilo City

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said Philippine Army personnel will help the Philippine National Police (PNP) in maintaining peace and order in Iloilo City amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Treñas said the supplies for the Army soldiers will come from donated funds which is easier to utilize because they do not need to go through the public bidding process required by law.

The Pius XII Institute of Catechetical and Social Studies at Jaro Cathedral, which was made available by the Archdiocese of Jaro, will be used as dormitory for 200 PNP and Army personnel who will be temporarily stationed in the city.

As regards the curfew, the mayor asked the public to cooperate with the City Government’s rules.

“Nagapangabay ko liwat, siguraduhon naton nga indi hagad mag-violate sang curfew. Ang curfew ni, two-edged sword. Ang isa, ang curfew ginaubra naton ni bangud nga gusto para mapa-sige ta ang social distancing. Kun masunod naton ni tanan ang guidelines sang DOH, ang aton ni nga ECQ para lang ni sa isa ka bulan pero kun indi kita mag-sige sini sang aton nga social distancong, sulod sang curfew basi madugayan pa ni kag mabudlayan kita tanan,” he said.

The mayor has previously expressed his concerns over curfew violations through a live video on social media Sunday evening.

“For the past nights, there have been many people coming from the different districts who violated the curfew. Gusto ko lang kamo tanan nga i-remind nga kun ang iban sa inyo sagad pag-gwa sa inyo panimalay, wala guihapon pulos ang [ECQ] nga ini. Malapta man guihapon ang sakit. Indi na kita maghulat nga mas madamo pa nga tawo ang mahalitan sang ini nga sakit. It is only through everyone’s cooperation that we will be able to win this fight against COVID-19,” the mayor said during the Facebook livestream.

The curfew runs from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. It was imposed through Ordinance No. 2020-056 which was approved on March 19, 2020. This was later added to Executive Order No. 55-2020 as part of the ECQ.

As of noon of March 30, 2020, the Iloilo City Police Office has apprehended 107 persons for violation of curfew, two persons for Possession of Falsified Quarantine Pass, 42 persons for violation of Suspension Of Public Transportation, 12 persons for Mass Gathering and 22 persons for violation of Social Distancing rules.

 

‘NO MORE FOOD PASSES’

Meanwhile, Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) Director Jeck Conlu clarified that deliveries of food supplies into the city do not require food passes.

“Gusto lang naton ipabalo sa siyudad nga ang aton nga border checkpoints kag diri sa sulod sang ciudad nga wala na kita nagapangita sang food pass para sa mga delivery of goods naton, para ma-make sure naton nga ang circulation sang aton nga mga goods nga gina-supply naton sa ciudad kag sa province mas mangin madasig,” Conlu said.

Conlu also appealed to neighboring towns to stop searching for food passes for delivery trucks.

“At the same time, naga-appeal kita sa mga kabanwahanan nga indi na lang naton pagpangitaan sang food pass ang mga delivery trucks naton nga naga-karga sang mga goods nga mag-deliver sa mga banwa kag diri sa ciudad sang Iloilo. This is to makes sure nga maging sufficient ang aton supply diri sa ciudad kag sa probinsya and also to make sure nga mas madasig ang pag-deliver kag pag-circulate sang aton nga mga supply para maka-abot ini sa aton nga mga mercado,” he said.