THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday, April 1, reiterated that no barangay checkpoints should be established on major thoroughfares and highways.

Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield (JTF CV Shield) commander and PNP deputy chief for operations, said only PNP checkpoints on national highways at the borders between towns and cities to ensure no delays in the movement of basic commodities.

Eleazar said they have been receiving reports that barangay officials were implementing rules and regulations that are not in line with the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“Some of these barangay checkpoints are implementing their own rules which are clearly in defiance of the IATF guidelines. We in the JTF CV Shield have been receiving similar complaints from cargo owners and drivers and even from people who are supposed to be exempted from home quarantine but were being barred in barangay checkpoints,” he said.

“Maliwanag ang utos ng ating Pangulo na dapat ang IATF guidelines ang mangingibabaw sa lahat ng ECQ rules na ipinapatupad," he added.

Meantime, Eleazar explained that cargo deliveries still have to undergo inspection because some people are using these to sneak in unauthorized persons.

“May iba nagte-take advantage at nagpapalusot ng mga tao nila sa cargo o nagpapanggap na pahinante so meron pa rin basic checking,” he said.

He also reminded that barangay checkpoints should still be supervised by the local police.

Under the enhanced community quarantine, only one person per household is allowed to go out to buy necessities. Healthcare workers and other essential personnel are exempted. (SunStar Philippines)