By Marisol Bo-oc | Posted on June 24, 2020 at 2:21 a.m.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella asks residents to stay calm following the announcement on the cancellation of quarantine passes issued by the city government.
In a video message posted on his Facebook page shortly after midnight, Labella confirmed this development saying it was the decision of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año.
He said this decision came after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) found out that there are still many people that were out of their homes.
At least 250,000 quarantine passes issued by the city since March will no longer be honored.
“I know this is a difficult time for everyone. This is deeply felt,” Labella said in a very short video message on Wednesday dawn, June 24.
“What we can do at this time is (to) stay calm and (be) informed,” he added.
On late Tuesday evening, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Region 7 (PRO-7), said there will be a “re-evaluation” of the number of quarantine passes issued.
“We noticed that a lot of people are on the streets even if the city is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ),” said Ferro in a phone interview with Cebu-based reporters on June 23.
With the suspension of quarantine passes, residents will only be allowed to move within their respective barangays. Residents who have to buy food can do so only inside their villages.
Only those authorized persons outside of residents (APOR) like health care workers, media, call center agents, bank employees and others are allowed to go out.
“ECQ is a form of hard lockdown so people need to stay inside their homes,” he said.
