Village chiefs urged anew to strictly enforce Luzon quarantine

FILE: Residents play chess in front of a closed establishment in Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City on Tuesday (March 17, 2020). (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Wednesday urged barangay (village) officials anew to strictly implement the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to prevent further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a radio interview, Año said village officials have a critical role to play in the implementation of the measure.

“Marami din tayo nakita na mga barangay captains na masisipag at talagang ginagawa yung trabaho nila [We also noticed many hardworking barangay captains and are doing their jobs properly],” he stressed.

He warned barangay officials who refuse to perform their duties and obligations may face sanctions.

He also encouraged residents to report irresponsible barangay officials.

He assured that police and military units would help the barangay officials in implementing the enhanced community quarantine.

Año said the police and military troops are only deployed in strategic areas as these cannot fully man around 25,000 villages in Luzon.

He said the DILG has enough funds to respond to the situation.

“Tayo naman ay mayroong tinatawag na MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) at dahil nga ngayong buwan na ito ay suspended lahat ang mga activities natin so yung pondo na yan puwede naman natin i-realign sa kasalukuyang hinaharap nating challenge (We have what we call Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and because our activities for this month are suspended, the funds allotted for that can be realigned to respond to the current challenge),” he stressed.

He said the Department of Budget and Management would issue guidelines on the “reprogram” of agencies’ MOOE for this matter.