Barangay captains in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, were urged today to support the local government’s initiatives to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Councilor Wilmer Yap, commander of the Emergency Operations Center, said they received reports that barangay officials are not supportive of the contact tracing operations in their areas and that some of those under strict home quarantine were not religiously monitored as they were seen going out of their houses.
Both Yap and Joe Recalex Alingasa, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer and EOC manager, urged the barangay captains to assert their authority over the violators and arrest them.
Have it recorded in a police blotter so legal action can be taken by the city government, they said in a press statement.
Yap also assured barangay officials of police visibility in their areas to protect them during the apprehension of violators.
Policemen were also told to conduct another “one-time, big-time” operation against hard-headed residents especially in densely populated areas who refused to follow the health protocols, he said.
He suggested to the barangay officials to implement a “one entrance, one exit” system in their neighborhoods, if possible, to minimize the movement of residents and to monitor the non-residents that go in and out of their areas.
SUBMIT REPORTS
The 18 barangay captains were also told to submit to the EOC the list of individuals they have apprehended and measures taken versus violations of their constituents that may have caused the further spread of COVID-19 in the city.
The move was initiated because of the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases that have now reached a 19.04 percent positivity rate, Alingasa said.
He said because of this barangay officials were directed to submit reports every week as part of the city’s “Disiplina Kontra Pandemya” drive.*