Violators of MECQ protocols in NCR Plus breach 1M: PNP

MANILA – Police officers have apprehended a total of 1,027,615 persons in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus for violating quarantine protocols during its shift to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, citing the latest data released on Wednesday, said out of this figure, 793,719 individuals were apprehended in the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal while 233,896 were accosted in Metro Manila from August 21 to September 7.

In Metro Manila, 158,271 persons were apprehended due to violation of minimum public health and safety protocols such as wearing of face masks, face shields, and safe physical distancing.

Meanwhile, a total of 61,890 were accosted for violating curfew while 13,735 were accosted for non-essential travels.

In the four neighboring provinces of the NCR, 609,344 were apprehended for breaching minimum public health and safety protocols, 147,862 for curfew violation, and 36,513 for non-essential travels.

Eleazar, meanwhile, renewed his call for the public’s understanding and compliance with minimum health and safety protocols as Metro Manila remains under MECQ until Sept. 15.

This as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) deferred the pilot testing of granular lockdowns in the region.

“Ibayong pag-iingat ang ating gagawin lalo na kung tayo ang inaasahan ng ating pamilya at siguradong hindi din maatim ng ating konsensya na tayo pa ang maging instrumento ng pagkakahawa ng ating mga kaiibigan, kapitbahay at ka-trabaho na inaasahan din ng kani-kanilang pamilya (We must take utmost care to ensure, especially if we are the sole support of our families, that we will not be instruments of infection to our friends, neighbors, co-workers,” he added.

He also urged the public to get vaccinated whenever possible.

Around 9,000 policemen are currently supervising and manning 942 quarantine control points (QCPs) in the country.

In Metro Manila, almost 1,000 policemen are currently deployed in 34 QCPs.