This comes as President Rodrigo Duterte approved tighter coronavirus restrictions to address a continued surge in cases, including the banning of mass gatherings and non-essential travel in those areas for two weeks. Mass gatherings put the people, their families, and communities at risk of contracting the virus. As it currently stands, the PNP has already deployed some 10,000 police officers in Metro Manila to enforce the uniform curfew in the capital region. Over the past week of uniform curfew in Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police accosted more than 19,000 quarantine violators, 5,300 of whom were arrested. “LGUs should immediately deploy their COVID-marshalls, Barangay Disiplina Brigades, barangay tanods (watchmen), and other force multipliers to enforce the prohibition against mass gatherings,” Florece also said.

Source: Philippine Star March 22, 2021 03:11 UTC