CHECKPOINT. Motorists are flagged down by police officers manning a quarantine control point at the boundary of Marikina City and Cainta, Rizal along Marcos Highway Monday (March 29, 2021) morning. Starting Monday until April 4, the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna are placed under enhanced community quarantine to curb the upward trend in Covid-19 cases. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)
MANILA – More quarantine control points are established in several areas in Metro Manila as the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) takes effect Monday until April 4.
National Capital Region Police (NCRPO) Chief, Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao, Jr., said the checkpoints are implemented at Susana Heights Tollgate; Alabang Tollgate; Filinvest Tollgate; Sucat Tollgate; Bicutan Tollgate; Skyway Entry; Nichols Tollgate; and Balon Bato, Balintawak, Quezon City.
Danao said apart from these control points, about 929 other checkpoints are manned by some 7,876 personnel in highly visible areas but these are "less restrictive", which means it is mainly for anti-criminality, anti-terrorism, and dragnet operations.
He said under ECQ, police manning checkpoints restrict the movement of persons not allowed outside their homes and facilitate the movement of authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) and essential goods and services.
Earlier, Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, commander of the Philippine National Police Joint Task Force Covid Shield, said they would deploy 7,876 cops in 929 checkpoint areas in the National Capital Region; 982 cops in 162 control points in Central Luzon, particularly in Bulacan; and 498 policemen in 15 quarantine control points in Calabarzon, particularly in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna and Rizal. (with Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)
