Police RoundUp

Drug store robbedin Lingayen town

By Eva Visperas

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — A drug store lost an undetermined amount of cash to robbers who broke into the establishment here in Barangay Poblacion on March 22.

The robbery at the St. Joseph Drugstore on Solis street was discovered when pharmacy assistant Manilyn Estrada, 32, and her companion opened the store at around 8 a.m.

Estrada told police the robbers destroyed the doorknob at the backdoor.

She said the incident was not captured by a closed circuit television camera installed in the store as the CCTV is switched off during closing time.

Pangasinan exec nabbed for violating quarantine

By Eva Visperas

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan — A municipal councilor was arrested for disobeying authorities manning a checkpoint in Barangay San Antonio in this town at past midnight on Tuesday.

Top Jigur Peregrino, 38, of the nearby Alcala town, reportedly refused to cooperate and showed arrogance as he was being questioned by officers enforcing the enhanced community quarantine.

Peregrino was placed under the custody of the Sto. Tomas police for proper disposition.

Sixteen other violators of the Luzon-wide quarantine being imposed by the government to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 were nabbed at different checkpoints in Bayambang, Binalonan, Dasol, Malasiqui  and Dagupan City.

 

1,200 arrested in Central Luzon for breaking COVID-19 curfew

By Franco Regala

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — More than 1,000 residents have been arrested in Central Luzon for violating curfew aimed at controlling the spread of coronavirus, Regional Police Office 3 (PRO3) said Wednesday.

PRO 3 Director Police Brig. General Rhodel O. Sermoni said the 1,200 violators have been arrested across the region since the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Central Luzon since the curfew came into effect on March 17.

Local government units have been imposing curfew of 8 p.m. to 5 .m. force the public to stay in their homes until April 12 and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Central Luzon police chief personally inspected all enhanced community quarantine control points to ensure the strict implementation was being carried out.

The violators were taken to the police stations where they were assessed fines as penalty for violating the curfew hours and were advised to go home.

The police regional chief continued to appeal for public cooperation and encourage them to stay at home if they have no business going outside.

“We are doing all we can to protect everyone but we also need your cooperation to protect each other to fight the virus,” he added.

Wakes banned during Luzon lockdown: PNP

By Rambo Talabong

Even wakes, which are customary overnight vigils in the country, are banned under the lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Philippine National Police (PNP) Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Tuesday, March 24.

"There are no more wakes, just the burials, because that (wake) is a mass gathering," Eleazar said during the government-organized Laging Handa press briefing, adding that the ban applies regardless if the death is coronavirus-related.

Eleazar is the leader of the Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield, the temporary group of top police, military, and Coast Guard officials assigned to oversee the implementation of guidelines issued by the national government to stem the spread of the virus.

It is a Filipino tradition for crowds of mourners to gather in overnight vigils before burying the remains of departed loved ones.

"We know that we have a culture. We have our religion. But the situation now is different," Eleazar said.

Still, religious leaders who will administer the burial rites should be allowed by cops to travel from their homes, Eleazar said.

The reminder comes a week after President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire island region of Luzon on lockdown or what they call the "enhanced community quarantine", which banned mass gatherings, restricted travel, and ordered people to stay home unless they are procuring needs. – Rappler.com