MANILA – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday (May 27) said chiefs of large villages cannot use the size of their area of jurisdiction as an excuse for their inability to monitor and prevent superspreader events amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Teleradyo, Año said they should strengthen coordination with the local police, the city/municipal government, and other stakeholders to be able to strictly enforce health protocols.
“That’s your job, bilang ikaw ay isang person in authority at ikaw ay binoto ng mga tao sa barangay,” Año said.
He also said barangay officials unwilling or unable to do their duty should step down.
“Kayang-kaya mo yan, kung sosolohin mo mahihirapan ka. Kaya hindi ito pwede sabihin na, hindi ko alam o malaki ang area ko. Umalis ka na lang sa puwesto mo, hahanap tayo ng barangay captain na kayang gawin ang trabaho sa ganitong pandemic na panahon,” he said.
He said by this time, villages should have established close coordination with private establishments with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the situation within their premises.
This came after President Rodrigo Duterte reminded local officials to ensure the strict implementation of quarantine and health protocols and warned that they could also face arrest for “dereliction of duty,” in case their constituents continue to ignore anti- COVID-19 measures.
The interior secretary said the President meant that in case of a superspreader event that goes uncontrolled by barangay authorities, the barangay head would be among those apprehended.
“Sa usaping pag-aresto, hindi naman ‘yan sinasabing arestuhin kaagad. Ang ibig sabihin n’un, kapag may nagaganap na isang superspreader event at walang ginawa ang kapitan at sa pagpunta ng ating authorities doon sa lugar na yun, isama mo na si kapitan sa pag-aresto dahil hindi niya ginawa ang kanyang trabaho,” Año said.
Año added that village officials should start monitoring recreational facilities such as parks, basketball courts, and swimming pools where gatherings usually occur.
He also advised them to tap volunteers and homeowners’ associations and use them as additional monitoring forces.
He said there are a lot of ways by which an erring village official can be sanctioned.
“Meron tayong proseso, halimbawa ang city, municipal mayor, at Sangguniang Bayan, may kapangyarihan sila. Pwede silang magsuspinde, mag-dismiss ng kapitan na hindi sumusunod. Pwede nating kasuhan ‘yan through the DOJ (Department of Justice) or Ombudsman, pwede din ang power ng ating Pangulo,” he said.
In a public address on Wednesday night, Duterte warned that the arrest of protocol violators is now “mandatory” as many continue to defy the strict quarantine and health rules amid the pandemic.
Duterte made the pronouncement after Año’s report about three superspreader events that contributed to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.
These are the operation of a resort in Barangay 171, Caloocan City despite the modified enhanced community quarantine; a pool party in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon in Quezon City; and a mass gathering at a river in Norzagaray, Bulacan. (PNA) -jlo
