COUNCILORS Mylen Yaranon and Francisco Roberto Ortega VI passed a resolution on July 27 requesting Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) to come up with guidelines in apprehending those persons who are not wearing face masks.
Yaranon and Ortega said reports of people who momentarily remove their face masks to either drink water or for other reasons being apprehended for not wearing face masks needs to be streamlined.
"In order for a better implementation on the wearing of face mask by all persons within Baguio City until the threat of Covid-19 is eliminated, the BCPO and POSD must come up with guidelines on apprehending those persons who are not wearing face mask," the resolution said.
BCPO and POSD are the implementing agencies of City Ordinance 45, series of 2020 and are assigned to apprehend those persons committing any of the prohibited acts under the said ordinance such as, among others, the non-wearing of face mask in public.
Previously, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong issued Executive Order 70, series of 2020 mandating all people in the city to use face masks and other similar protective covers when they are in public and when they leave their houses.
The City Council passed City Ordinance 45, series of 2020, or "The Face Mask Ordinance of 2020 in the City of Baguio."
Both measures aim to ensure the safety of all Baguio citizens against Covid-19.
The resolution cited Section 5, Article II of the Philippine Constitution insuring that "the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy."
Section 15, Article II of the Constitution further provides the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them and Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991 states every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied there from, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare. Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology, encourage and support the development of appropriate and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, improve public morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants.