A TOTAL of 3,584 persons were apprehended on the first night of the two-week uniform curfew in Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
Of the 3,584, 1,449 were detained, 547 were warned and 1588 were fined.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said those detained were released after 5 a.m. and given the option to render community service if they fail to pay the fine.
The curfew, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., was imposed as a measure to slow down transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Lieutenant General Cesar Hawthorne Binag, PNP Directorate for Operations head and Joint Task Force Covid-19 Shield commander, said implementation of the curfew was deemed "generally successful" on the first night based on the assessment of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
A total of 8,341 policemen were deployed in the streets of Metro Manila to enforce the curfew. They were supported by augmentation forces from the local government units.
Aside from manning checkpoints in 373 areas, police officers conduct roving patrols.
Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, PNP officer-in-charge, reminded PNP personnel to observe maximum tolerance and respect the people’s rights to prevent confrontations or any other untoward incidents.
Likewise, he urged the public to follow the protocol and respect the law enforcers.
“We will be closely monitoring your compliance,” he told policemen.
“The keyword here is to respect. If we know how to respect one another, I assure you of smooth curfew implementation. Let us always bear in mind that your PNP is not the enemy here, our common enemy is the coronavirus and it takes our cooperation to contain the spread of the virus,” he added.
Eleazar said the curfew will help lessen unnecessary movement of people at night, and deter mass gatherings and celebrations. (SunStar Philippines)