By Rey Anthony Chiu, PIA-Bohol | 08:57 PM April 18, 2020
With all the rumors spreading through the social media grave vine about violators successfully slipping in through the dragnet spread by the joint forces guarding out shores, the Provincial Government is dangling a P20,000 bounty to anyone who could report and positively pinpoint any violator to authorities.
The move came amidst instigations and speculations that many have slipped through Bohol from Cebu City, which is now a hot zone with plenty of coronavirus disease confirmed cases.
In a bid to secure Bohol from getting the virus that has been causing world economies to fall, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order No. 8, series of 2020, which in essence, stopped domestic and international air and sea travel of passengers to Bohol, except cargoes that bring food supply and sustain the economy here.
This too as the National Government, after President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 922, declaring a state of Public Health Emergency across the country, triggered intensified government responses which include community quarantines and disease control provisions.
While police and army officials ordered the setting up of community quarantines and strict stay at home orders with travel restrictions already imbedded in the aggressive disease-spread-control, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) initiated a No-Sail Policy which started in Manila Bay and spread across the country when local government units requested for it to help contain the spreading pandemic.
With EO No. 8 in Bohol, the PCG, the Philippine National Police Tourist Police, the Regional Mobile Group and the Philippine Army with a complementation of barangay officials and citizens initiated measures to implement the governor’s order as well as secure Bohol from possible spread of the contamination already claiming lives in nearby Visayan islands.
With Bohol strengthening its shores for possible landing, not by large vessels but by ordinary fishermen carrying with them passengers from Cebu, Police Colonel Jonathan Cabal, in an interview said he has ordered the PNP Bohol Tourist Police reinforce the police and the PCG and army guarding the coasts facing Cebu.
However, insinuations of people still slipping through Bohol also came while coast guards report occasional interceptions and apprehensions.
Earlier, there were reports that Governor Arthur Yap has put up P10,000 bounty to anyone who could pinpoint a violator, but no reports came out about anybody claiming the cash pot.
This, despite widespread reports about people literally “clawing each other” to get the P6,000 Special Amelioration Program of the government.
This too, as rumors and instigations of travel restriction violations continued to be shared and re-shared on social media, further increasing the apprehension that people may really have sneaked through.
According to one of the Provincial Government’s maintained face book pages GOBOHOL.COM, the provincial government is giving P20,000 cash reward to those who can report boats which have violated Executive Order 8-A and the PCG No Sail Policy.
It said the incentive which the local government would give to the tipster who could give important information that could help authorities go after those who do not follow the policy.
Accordingly, Governor Yap said the new policy has been relayed to Police Provincial Director Jonathan Cabal who has also instructed his municipal chiefs of police of the strict implementation of the orders.
“People who will be caught coming in to Bohol illegally in violation of our quarantine will be [proceeded] sic against criminally, the boat will be impounded, and the owner of the boat will be charged as well.
If a big ship with a franchise is caught ferrying passengers illegally in violation of our quarantine, we will file a case against the company and move for cancellation of the boat’s franchise,” Yap reportedly said.
The shared information however did not contain mechanics of the incentive, like whether it also applies to those who have slipped earlier.