BY AARON RECUENCO
The National Task Force Against COVID-19 has further eased the motorcycle back-riding rule as it now allows motorcycle drivers to go out and travel in Metro Manila and the four adjacent provinces in the hope that they can provide assistance to medical frontliners and other essential workers.
After President Duterte re-imposed the more stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status to Metro Manila and four nearby provinces – Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan early Monday – motorcycle drivers were among those badly affected as they were not allowed to go out and travel in the metropolis.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, said there are two main conditions that must be met in order for non- Authorized Person Outside Residence (APOR) motorcycle riders to go out.
First, the motorcycles that would be used must have a barrier and that the purpose of travel is to transport medical frontliners and other essential workers to work and to fetch them to go back to their homes.
“This is the consideration given by the NTF Against COVID-19 to the medical frontliners and other essential workers who cannot drive a motorcycle or do not own motorcycles and are only depending on the motorcycles of their parents, family members, friends and neighbors for transportation from August 4 to August 18,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar explained that even if the motorcycle riders are not APOR, they will not be cited for any violation at the Quarantine Control Points and random checkpoints if they are back-riding medical frontliners and other essential workers who are allowed to go out under MECQ.
“On their way back to their home after transporting APORs and on their way to fetch APORs from their places of works, the installed barrier will serve as a justification for the motorcycle drivers not to be penalized when they are checked at the border control points and random checkpoints,” said Eleazar.
“But they also have to show proof that their intention of their travel is to fetch a medical frontliner and other APOR, or that they are already on their way back home after transporting them,” he added. (Aaron Recuenco)
