Quarantine status in July still subject to LGUs’ appeal: Palace

MANILA – Local government units (LGUs) still have until Monday night to appeal the quarantine classifications that will be imposed within their jurisdictions beginning July, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Ito po ay subject to appeal pa hanggang mamayang gabi po. ‘Yung mga LGU na gustong mag-apela ay pupuwede po (The new quarantine status is still subject to appeal until tonight. LGUs who want to make appeal can do so),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online press briefing.

This, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced in a pre-recorded Talk to the People on Monday night the recommended community quarantine classifications for the month of July.

Duterte said stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) will be imposed in Cagayan, Apayao, Bataan, Lucena City, Puerto Princesa, Nagay City, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, the entire Davao region, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur until July 15.

On the other hand, general community quarantine (GCQ) “with some restrictions” in Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan, and GCQ “with heightened restrictions” in Laguna and Cavite will be until July 15.

Baguio City, Ifugao, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, Iligan City, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City will be placed under GCQ for the whole month of July.

The rest of the country will remain under the least restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ).

No 2nd Talk to the People

Roque said Duterte will not hold a second Talk to the People this week to announce the final quarantine classification in July.

He said members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) are set to meet Wednesday to discuss the possible appeals from LGUs.

He said he might be the one to announce the final quarantine status.

“Wala munang schedule ng (There will be no scheduled) second Talk to the People during the week. Pero, baka tayo na po ang mag-anunsiyo ng final (Perhaps, I will be the one to announce the final [quarantine classifications]),” Roque said.