NO CRIME was reported in the whole of Central Visayas on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 said this might be due to majority of people staying in their homes and the visibility of police as part of the implementation of the general community quarantine in the region.
According to Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, PRO 7 director, many police officers are on duty to man checkpoints and enforce the curfew.
He compared the lack of crime to the showing of earlier Manny Pacquiao boxing matches, with people staying at home to watch the fights on TV.
“It’s just like a Pacman game wherein we have zero crime incident,” Ferro said.
He said that if people only observed this kind of discipline, the community would be peaceful.
Aside from the carrying out the general community quarantine, police are also seeing to it that the liquor ban is observed.
In Cebu City, Mayor Edgardo Labella signed Executive Order 53 banning the sale of liquor from March 16 to April 14, 2020, or while the city is under a general community quarantine.
Ferro urged the public to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In line with this, Ferro announced that press conferences will now be held online to prevent a big gathering. Questions of the media will be answered online.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2020, members of the Pardo Police Station apprehended a motorcycle driver and his passenger for violating the social distancing policy.
Nenita Alleaga Tagadiad, 44, a resident of Barangay Linao, Talisay City, and Jerome Llaban Caballero, 41, a resident of Punta Princesa in Cebu City, were stopped at a checkpoint along N. Bacalso Ave. in Barangay Bulacao.
The two reportedly got angry and dared the police to take them into custody and charge them in court. (AYB, CBQ)