Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno said that he’s going to order the police to arrest all parents that would allow their children to go out and play despite the community quarantine being implemented.
Moreno made the said announcement after it was reported that there were 1,039 people violated the Ordinance No. 8644 (Mandatory Use of Face Mask in Public) mostly minors while 9,367 were caught violating Ordinance No. 8547 (curfew).
According to him some of the minors who got caught were found to be positive in COVID-19.
He ordered Manila Police District Brigadier General Rolly Miranda and Manila Department Of Social Welfare director Re Fugoso to file charges against the irresponsible parents.
“Let’s start jailing irresponsible parents. I don’t mind kung mapuno ang ating mga kulungan ng mga pabayang magulang dahil sa paglabag sa Ordinance No. 8243 (Anti-Child Endangerment Ordinance of the City Manila). Hard time requires hard decision para mapigilan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19,” Moreno said.
A fine of P5,000 or six months’ jail time await parents or guardians of abandoned minors aged 12 and below; P3,000 or three months’ imprisonment for guardians of minors aged 13 and 14; and P2,000 or a month’s incarceration if the minor is 15 to 17 years old.
Many concerned netizens of Manila City reported children and parents staying outside without a mask.
Netizen Chards Guittu also posted the scene he witnessed in Quirino Avenue, showing children playing in the middle of the road and people interacting to each other without protection.
As of writing, there are 3248 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Manila City.
To fight the pandemic in his city, Moreno bought 3 COVID-19 testing machines capable of 16,800 tests a week.
“Makakapag-test ang mga ito ng 50 samples per hour. Uunahin natin ang lahat ng doctor, nurse, mga healthcare workers, starting with Ospital ng Maynila, para mapanatag sila,” the Mayor said.
“Kung kaya nito mag-50 per hour sa 16-hour shift ng ating mga medtech, makakagawa na ng 16,800 per week ang tatlo nating machines,” he added.