ECQ Extends until May 15, 2020 for Luzon and other High-Risk Areas
ECQ extends until May 15, 2020 in Luzon and other high-risk areas. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte talked through a live video on Facebook (Radio Television Malacañang – RTVM) with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) along with several cabinet members.
Extended ECQ in High-Risk Areas
The Philippine president has followed the advice of the IATF and will extend the ECQ in Luzon and other parts of the Philippines that are on high risk. The following are to extend their ECQ until May 15, 2020: National Capital Region (NCR), Region 3, Region 4A and Region 5. Included in these regions are the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Quezon Province, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, and Catanduanes.
The following areas will maintain the Enhanced Community Quarantine until May 15, 2020: Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Zambales. However, this may change by April 30, 2020. Other high-risk areas in the Visayas and Mindanao will be subject for re-checking before any further extension. These high-risk areas subject for re-checking are Antique, Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Cebu, Cebu City, Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Davao de Oro.
General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in other parts of the country
The rest of the provinces and regions that have been not mentioned, will be placed back to General Community Quarantine or GCQ. These moderate-risk areas will be under GCQ until May 15, 2020: Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur. Low-risk areas in Luzon will also have GCQ until May 15, 2020. These include Apayao, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur, Batanes, Palawan, Romblon, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Bohol, Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Quirino, Aurora, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Masbate, Sarangani, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu.
However, there are some areas that will still be under evaluation. This means that they are on moderate risk or alert. These include Abra, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, Aklan, Capiz, Samar, Western Samar, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao.
During the General Community Quarantine, all seniors and minors are still not allowed to go out.
Philippines President may Declare Martial Law
Included in the live meeting with the IATF, the Philippine President Duterte also mentioned that he might declare martial law if the lawlessness of the New People’s Army (NPA) continues. According to the President, if the NPA continues to attack and take away the amortization, food, and other forms of help from the police, he will declare martial law. The Martial Law be implemented not because of the coronavirus, but because the NPA is stealing the help from the government for other people. President Duterte also promised that he will wipe out the NPA communist group before he ends his term (which will be in two years’ time).
Pag nagpatuloy kayo ng lawlessness ninyo, patay dito patay duon, and it’s happening all over the Philippines. Maybe I will declare Martial Law because kayong mga NPA ang numero uno. Kinukuha ninyo ang mga tulong sa tao pati supply, pagkain nila,” said Duterte
(If you continue your lawlessness, killing here and killing there, and it’s happening all over the Philippines. Maybe I will declare Martial Law because you NPA are the number one. You are getting the help from the people, their supplies and food.)
I am now warning everybody, and I am putting notice sa Arm Forces pati police. I might declare Martial Law and there will be no turning back,” he continued.
(I am now warning everybody, and I am putting notice for the Arm Forces and police. I might declare Martial Law and there will be no turning back.)
