San Juan mayor violates Baguio quarantine protocols
SAN Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and his convoy broke coronavirus quarantine rules in Baguio City when they sped past a checkpoint on their way to a country club.
In a statement on Monday, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Zamora’s entourage arrived at the Kennon
Road quarantine checkpoint on Friday afternoon.
“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, forthwith sped off with the mayor’s entourage in tow,” he bared.
He said the checkpoint’s personnel informed the city’s traffic police, which followed Zamora’s group to the Baguio Country Club.
Zamora was asked to present the required medical clearances but failed to show any. The group was then asked to undergo a triage examination, Magalong added.
“Considering that they were already at their destination, medical personnel from the City Health Service Office were dispatched to the Baguio Country Club to set up the triage facility, purposely to ensure that containment and isolation, if needed, were done,” he continued.
The mayor said “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 said complaints were filed regarding the incident, which were them sent to Philippine National Police Deputy Chief for Administration Gen. Camilo Cascolan.
He noted that the San Juan City-based police officer who was the lead escort of Zamora’s convoy “committed a serious breach of standing quarantine protocols.”
Zamora apologized to Magalong and the “people of Baguio City” for the quarantine breach, but insisted it was unintentional.
“I have personally called Mayor Magalong…to convey my apologies and to explain that this was a miscommunication in the checkpoint area,” he said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
Zamora said he brought his wife, Keri, to Baguio to stay in a family home for a “few weeks” to rest and recover from breast cancer.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief MGen. Debold Sinas immediately relieved the five police officers who were in Zamora’s convoy.
“Effective yesterday, I ordered the immediate relief of the five police officers assigned in San Juan,” he said in a statement Monday.
BGen. Gerry Galvan, chief of Metro Manila’s Regional Internal Affairs Service, identified the officers as MSgt. Ricardo Interno; Staff Sergeants Joel Pascua, Christian Manlapaz and Ludy Constantino; and Cpl. Marxist Garcia.
Sinas said the officers would be transferred to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City while an investigation is being conducted.
He stressed that he would not tolerate any violation of any policeman in the implementation of the community quarantine protocols.
“We, as law enforcers, are bound to respect the existing rules and regulations anywhere in the Philippines. The safety of the people remains as our top priority in this trying times,” Sinas said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa apologized for the incident.
Gamboa instructed the PNP director for operations to remind all police officers to always observe health protocols.