AN ENRAGED citizenry mounted a petition to declare San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora persona non grata in Baguio City after breaching health and security protocols.
Zamora entered the city with an entourage of 18 on Friday, June 5, bypassing checkpoints and the triage set up on the Marcos highway.
Close to 10,000 have signed the online petition started by artist Karlo Altomonte, saying "by ignoring protocols and initiatives of the City of Baguio, one of the cities in the country that serves as a model in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, thanks to the discipline and genuine concern of its citizens and the city's current leadership, San Juan City Mayor Zamora, arrogantly and selfishly, spat in the face of every Baguio citizen who's sacrificed so much to keep the city safer."
The petition is addressed to the Office of the City Mayor and the City Council.
On Monday morning, June 8, Baguio Mayor Benjie Magalong has asked for calm from enraged residents.
"We appeal to the public to exercise greater discernment and restraint in prejudging, one way or the other, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and the members of his group. We fully understand the public's displeasure over the reported breach of health protocols by Mayor Zamora and his group. We share everyone's reaction that an incident of this nature, done in utter violation of border controls, took place at all. Let us however bear in mind that the full appreciation of facts and the proper evaluation of evidence at hand are best left to our courts or the rightful quasi-judicial bodies. This is how justice works," Magalong said.
Timeline of events
On the afternoon of June 5, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) City Director Allen Rae Co reported the San Juan mayor arrived at the Kennon Road quarantine checkpoint around 2:30 p.m. on board a convoy of six vehicles, with uniformed personnel inside.
When his group was flagged down for inspection, the driver of the lead vehicle just slowed down a bit, and merely told the checkpoint personnel that he was part of a convoy, pointing out the vehicles tailing his police car, then sped off with the mayor's entourage in tow.
Checkpoint personnel radioed the BCPO traffic operations center about the incident and followed Zamora's convoy en route to the Baguio Country Club (BCC).
Upon arrival, the group was asked for the required medical health clearance, but since none was presented, was politely told to undergo triage examination.
Special triage set up
Magalong said considering they were already at their destination, medical personnel from the City Health Service Office were dispatched to BCC to set up the triage facility, purposely to ensure that containment and isolation, if needed, were done.
"From this narration of facts, it can be reasonably sensed that Baguio's health and safety protocols have been violated and the regulatory mechanism of quarantine check and triage examination at the Naguillan facility was not followed," Magalong added.
Instructions were then given to the city health authorities to see to it that the visiting mayor's group, including himself, go through triage examination, for containment purposes should anyone be tested positive of the virus.
"There is utmost need to re-assert the policy position of the City Government, that no one, regardless of rank and position, is exempted from the established and long-held health and safety protocols when entering the city. I reiterate this as an uncompromising measure for everyone, whether public or private status, to comply with the city's border control checkpoints upon entry in Baguio boundaries, to ensure that no one is put to undue health risk while in the city. This policy is strongly iterated in view of the apparent violation of existing health protocols by a group of visiting officials led by San Juan, Metro Manila Mayor Francis Zamora -- ignoring the border control checkpoint at Kennon Road, and proceeding to their place of destination (Baguio Country Club) without their having to undergo the mandatory triage health examination," Magalong stressed.
As of press time Monday, June 8, there is no statement from the management of the Baguio Country Club, directing all inquiries to the City mayors office.
Last week, The Department of Tourism-Cordillera conducted random inspection of Accredited Accommodation Establishments that applied for a Certificate of Authority to Operate at 50 percent capacity under the Department of Tourism (DOT) Memorandum Circular 2020-002, which included the Baguio Country Club.
Under the DOT guidelines, hotels, including facilities for staycations, may now again operate, but only at 50 percent operational capacity in areas, which will be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Based on Administrative Order 2020-002, the DOT said accommodation establishments in the forms of hotels, resorts, tourist inns, pension houses, homestays, and other establishments offering the same service, may accept bookings of all guests, whether for work or leisure.
The DOT also required them to ensure the compliance of protocols under the Minimum Public Health Standards.
Section 16 of the DOT circular states notification and referral procedure following DOH Guidelines, establishments must record and analyze guest lists for persons coming from countries that have reported confirmed cases of the current disease.
Zamora apologizes
Over the weekend, Magalong reported Zamora apologized for the serious lapse on the part of his police escorting officer.
"He profusely expressed deep regrets that while asleep in his car at the time, the PNP escort leading his convoy mindlessly took it on his own to ignore what has long been a standard border protection measure prescribed not only in his but our own city. It is clear that the San Juan City-based police officer who served as lead escort of his City Mayor's convoy has committed a serious breach of standing quarantine protocols," Magalong said.
Zamora issued a public apology on Sunday early evening, June 7.
"I would like to extend my sincere apologies Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the people of Baguio City for the incident that happened last June 5, 2020 on our way to Baguio City. We had no intention of breaking any checkpoint or quarantine protocols of the LGU. I have personally called Mayor Magalong earlier today to convey my apologies and to explain that this was a miscommunication in the checkpoint area," Zamora said.
"As we arrived in our hotel, the management informed us that we would have to undergo a triage which we all fully and immediately complied with.
"My wife is a stage 3 breast cancer patient and is still undergoing active treatment. Her doctor advised her to take a very needed rest which combined with her medical treatment protocols would help achieve a full recovery. We decided to go to Baguio because her family has an old house there. She was going to stay there a few weeks to rest and recover. In fact, we brought some of her personal belongings and some furniture so we could fix the house over the weekend since the house hasn't been stayed in for quite some time. I was going back home to San Juan today. Her sister was going up this afternoon to stay with her for the duration of her rest and active treatment.
"Again, I humbly and most respectfully apologize to Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the people of Baguio City for this incident. There was never any intention not to follow Baguio's health and security protocols," he added.
Complaints filed
Magalong said complaints have been lodged to the PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Police General Camilo Cascolan, the San Juan City Police City Director Jimmy Santos, and Baguio police to call their collective attention on this incident that put Baguio at serious health risk by the simple act of ignoring health and safety protocols.
On Monday, June 8, Major General Debold Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), ordered the transfer of the five policemen in the convoy to the NCRPO's holding and accounting unit in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig to be investigated for ignoring Baguio City's checkpoint protocols against the coronavirus pandemic.