BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the full extent of the law to be meted to those smuggling people into the city.
Magalong said the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) has been instructed to apprehend and file the appropriate charges against violators.
“We will impound the vehicles and file cases against the driver and ‘yung mga nakasakay ay pabalikin natin,” said Magalong.
Magalong added reports reaching his office reveal there are cargo trucks offering passengers a fare to ferry amounting to P1,000 if coming from Tarlac, P500 if from Pangasinan and P300 from la Union.
Over the weekend, BCPO in a random check at Marcos Highway arrested three residents of Irisan, Kias and San Luis, being sneaked into the city by a fruits and vegetable cargo truck.
The truck came from Rosario, La Union and agreed to ferry the three persons into the city in an attempt to pass through police checkpoints unnoticed as well as bypassing medical protocols in the midst of a pandemic.
“Mabuti na lang di siya (the driver) naningil dahil naawa lang siya sa mga nakisakay, pero hindi natin papalampasin,” Magalong said.
The city effective March 28 closed its borders to non-essential travels and stranded residents from other provinces except Benguet to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) however, the ban does not include deliveries of food, medicines and other essential items.
“Ano ginawa natin sa tatlong passengers, naawa na lang tayo, we just guaranteed them galling sila sa kabundukang parte ng Pangasinan, wala naming covid cases doon, yung sasakyan pinagalitan na lang natin ang driver, dahil siya ay nag madagandang loob lang naman, kawawa din naman.”
Magalong said checks points now will inspect cargo trucks in coordination with the Highway Patrol Group stationed in Saitan, Rosario, La Union.
Magalong said the stranded students, workers and residents outside Baguio will not be allowed during ECQ, explaining the directive is in accordance to the DILG order to limit movement of people particularly those from Covid–19 affected areas.
“We are prioritizing the OFWs because we were able to set-up the Teachers Camp as isolation area for their quarantine,” Magalong said.
He added that due to limited resources and manpower, the city cannot allow stranded students, workers and residents to come home to Baguio as this might affect Covid control measures being implemented in the city. With a report from Baguio City Public Information Office