People discriminating Covid patients, front-liners in Baguio City face fines

By Pigeon Lobien 

BAGUIO CITY – People discriminating against health care workers and front line workers against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be penalized after the city council here on Monday, approved an ordinance imposing fines.

               In a session, the city’s 14 councilors, half of who were online, voted for the passage of the ordinance authored by councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda imposing penalties on people discriminating against health care workers who are at the front line in curing people with Covid-19.

The ordinance is entitled “An ordinance penalizing acts of discrimination committed against persons affected by Covid-19, medical personnel, other health workers, and essential workers in making the city Covid free.”

In filing the resolution, Tabanda took note of some narratives of harassed health care workers.

Tabanda said that at one instance, a nurse who was at the city market was refused service by vendors after finding out that she is a front line health worker.

The nurse happens also to be a mother and was at the market after her duty to buy food for her family.

In one incident, a nurse was asked to leave the boarding house where she stays.

               “Pinapaalis yung nurse (The nurse is being asked to leave). This is why she opted to stay in the designated hotel,” Tabanda said.

Some hotels in Baguio have opened their doors to health care workers like Starwood Hotel near the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) where some of its rooms are used by health care workers for free.

On Session Road, Baguio Central Hotel has also allowed the use of its rooms for health care workers.

“Our health care workers are doing their best to cure people with the disease and stop the spread of the virus and that is what they get,” she said.

She said that this is also the case for other front line workers like police and relief providers who spend time and risk their health to help stop the spread of the disease.

               Tabanda said that the resolution will impose penalties on violators.

A P3,000 fine will be imposed for derogatory remarks against him, deny access to basic goods and inflicting physical harm to Covid-19 patients, health workers, and essential workers.

A P5,000 fine will be charged on persons who publish names or whereabouts of people with Covid-19.

If a violator is unable to pay the fine, 30-day imprisonment will be imposed.

Government officials, on the other hand, are given the maximum penalty aside from administrative charges. (PNA)