DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio ordered police authorities to intensify their operation against individuals selling alcoholic beverages expensively within communities.
Duterte-Carpio, on Monday, July 19, asked the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) to strengthen their campaign against sellers of intoxicating beverages in communities after the local government received reports that alcoholic drinks are still being sold amid the liquor ban, at much higher prices by some stores.
The mayor also said that lifting the liquor ban is not being discussed as of now, even if the city recently shifted from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions effective July 16.
She said drinking sessions are prone to transmission as physical distancing and other health protocols will not be properly observed.
"You have to understand that when liquor is available sa mga (in) sari-sari stores in communities, the tendency of people is to buy and gather usually sa gabii or pagkahuman sa trabaho. Ang ginalikayan nato is ang pagtapok-tapok sa mga tao (during nights or after work. We are avoiding gatherings),” she said.
It was also revealed during the interview that some residents in Toril would travel to nearby areas in Davao del Sur, where there is no liquor ban, and have their gatherings there.
Duterte-Carpio had also instructed DCPO to intensify their “drunk driving operation” to motorists entering the Binugao checkpoint.
The City Government reimposed the 24-hour liquor ban on November 2, 2020 following the surge of cases highly attributed to mass gatherings, including drinking sessions.
From July 5 to 20, DCPO apprehended a total of 45,088 Covid-19 protocol violators, wherein 57 were apprehended for violating the liquor ban.