Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, warned the administrators of condominium and subdivisions against defying the guideline on home quarantine and social distancing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) amid a viral video showing policemen allegedly “barging” on a posh condominium in Taguig City to castigate residents for not following the rules.
Eleazar said residents of condominiums and subdivisions are not exempted from the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine Guideline even if the violations are committed inside their premises.
“The last time we checked, there is no existing State or entity inside the Philippines that could craft and implement its own laws or guidelines especially pertaining to the COVID-19 safety measures,” said Eleazar in a statement on Monday.
“The ECQ Guideline is plain and simple: Stay at home and observe social distancing when going out of your house– anytime, anywhere, and regardless of your social status. Thus, that condo residential place and the people living there are not exempted,” he stressed.
On Monday, a video showing a police official berating residents of the Pacific Plaza Condominium went viral, with the uploader accusing the policemen of trespassing inside a private property. The uploader also accused the police official of brandishing his gun while berating local residents.
The police official involved was Maj. Joseph Austria, chief of the Sub-Station 1 of the Taguig City Police, who was seen in the video shooing some residents away from the common swimming pool.
Quoting initial results of the investigation, Eleazar said Austria went to the Pacific Plaza Condo after receiving reports that some residents were not observing home quarantine and social distancing.
While talking to an official of the Pacific Plaza, Eleazar said that Austria noticed groups of people gathering at the common area and the common swimming pool which prompted him to caution them on following the home quarantine and social distancing.
Eleazar said the initial result of the probe revealed that there was no gun-pointing incident as claimed by the video uploader.
Based on the initial investigation, Eleazar said that there was already an existing guideline from the Taguig City government prohibiting the use of common areas in condos that include the swimming pool.
But still, Eleazar said Austria was asked to explain and the incident will be investigated as part of the police Standard Operating Procedure.
“We at the JTF COVID Shield are urging the administrators of condominiums and subdivisions to observe home quarantine and social distancing at all times. Otherwise, we will not hesitate to enforce the law in your areas,” said Eleazar. (Aaron Recuenco)