Vice-mayor to public: Be responsible to prevent spread of Covid-19

"WE SHOULD be responsible and always follow the health protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19)."

This was stressed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairperson of Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19, on Monday, November 9, after about 20 to 30 individuals were caught partying and having drinking sessions in the restobars in Barangay Mandalagan on Friday evening.

Familiaran said the City Legal Office (CLO), Permits and Licensing Division, and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) are now conducting investigation to determine the violations committed by the restobar owners.

He said the result of the investigation will be forwarded to the local IATF and to the city mayor.

"All of us should be responsible because our quarantine status is not dependent to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or to the city mayor, but it is dependent on the cooperation of everybody," he added.

On Friday, November 6, a video circulated on social media showing about 20 to 30 individuals, most of them teenagers not wearing face masks and not observing social distancing, were partying and having drinking sessions in the restobars in Barangay Mandalagan.

Dr. Edwin Miraflor, officer-in-charge city health officer of Bacolod City Health Office, earlier said that videos of the crowd partying were forwarded to the EOC and that the identity of the video source is being sought for confirmation.

He said there has been several health protocol violations noted in the videos.

Violations included not wearing of face masks, not observing physical distancing, liquor ban and holding of mass gathering while the city is under general community quarantine (GCQ).

The incident already reached the office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Western Visayas.

Under GCQ, the selling of liquor, wine, beer or any alcoholic or intoxicating beverage only be allowed from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Consumption of alcoholic beverages will only to be done within private residences.

Familiaran said it is not fair to everybody because some business establishments are following the health protocols, but some are not.

"If we will not cooperate our Covid-19 cases will also increase as well as the quarantine status and the public will only blame the mayor, which is wrong because we are not doing our part to prevent the spread of the virus. All of us will suffer," he said.

Policemen were also deployed to monitor the operation of restobars in Barangay Mandalagan.