Another Baguio village locked down for defying ECQ rules

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered a lockdown of Barangay Fairview for defying the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) rules, the city information office said on Thursday.City information office chief Aileen Refuerzo said Magalong has ordered Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) director, Col. Allen Rae Co to seal off the village starting April 16.

Refuerzo said the lockdown order was issued after the mayor observed that the village officials had no control over residents who were willfully not obeying the ECQ rules.

"May mga nagba-basketball, naglalakad na walang masks (There are those playing basketball, others were walking without masks)," Magalong was quoted as saying.

Refuerzo said with the lockdown, entry and exit points of the barangay will be restricted including essential travels.

Excluded from the lockdown are the authorized persons outside residence (APOR).

Refuerzo said the home quarantine passes issued to residents, one per household which allows the holder to go out to buy necessities, have been canceled.

In an interview, Co said residents of villages that have been placed on lockdown are prohibited from going out, even to purchase food or medicines.

“All travels including those for market and medical purposes will have to pass through the barangay," he said.

Earlier, Barangay Pinget was put on lockdown to prevent people from going out of their residences for blatant disregard of the Luzon-wide ECQ and the 24-hour curfew of the city.

Meanwhile, Barangay Pacdal's lockdown has been scaled down and will now just be confined to Maria Basa Street.

Other areas that remain locked down are barangays Upper Dagsian, Scout Barrio and Woodsgate Subdivision in Camp 7, where recent Covid -19 patients reside.

Residents here are also prevented from going out even on market days and will only be served by rolling stores to be arranged by the city government. (PNA)