Executives, reporters, and technical staff of ABS-CBN remain included in the list of those exempted from home quarantine, the Philippine National Police announced yesterday.
PNP spokesman Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac issued the statement amid questions if ABS-CBN executives and workers who were given Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases identification cards will remain exempted from home quarantine despite the cease and desist order against the media company.
“All ABS-CBN executives, reporters, technical staff, and employees remain included in the list of Authorized Persons Outside Residence pursuant to IATF-MEID guidelines on Enhanced Community Quarantine,” said Banac.
Banac said the company identification cards of ABS-CBN workers will also be honored in quarantine control points.
The clarification was issued by the PNP as some policemen manning the checkpoints could misconstrue the cease and desist order as a reason to bar them from passing checkpoints.
Journalists and media technical workers have been exempted from home quarantine as they are also considered frontliners in terms of providing information to the public on the current situation of the country amid the threat of the coronavirus.
ABS-CBN went off air on May 5 in compliance with the order of the National Telecommunication Commission for having an expired franchise . The cease and desist order of the NTC, however, does not cover other platforms of the ABS-CBN such as its online news site. (Aaron Recuenco)
