MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to revisit the ban on the elderly and pregnant women from riding the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transits (LRT) lines when a general community quarantine (GCQ) is enforced in Metro Manila. “We appeal to the Department of Transportation to revisit this policy,” CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit said in a statement, adding that the ban could be discriminatory. ADVERTISEMENTThe ban on the elderly and pregnant women from riding the MRT and LRT lines during a GCQ was based on the guidelines from the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for areas under GCQ. Further, the ban also sends the message that it is acceptable to restrict the elderly and pregnant women from accessing public transportation, according to the CHR Commissioner. Instead of the total ban on senior citizens and pregnant women, Dumpit said the strict implementation of physical distancing and hygiene protocols in the MRT and LRT lines is sufficient to lower their risk of infection.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 08, 2020 01:52 UTC