Man arrested for assaulting cop at checkpoint

MANILA, Philippines — A man was arrested for assaulting a police officer in his attempt to pass through a checkpoint between Bulacan and Valenzuela without being thermally checked yesterday.

Valenzuela police chief Col. Fernando Ortega said Dionisio Bonote was on a bicycle when he refused to subject himself to thermal scanning at the border of Malanday and Meycauayan, Bulacan. Instead, he punched and shouted invectives at Patrolman June Santos of the Northern Police District Mobile Force Battalion.

Northern Police District Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Ylagan said Bonote wanted to try his luck in finding work in Metro Manila. He will instead face charges of direct assault, resisting authority, alarm and scandal, and unjust vexation. 

Ylagan appealed to the public to cooperate and understand the situation at checkpoints, noting that the lines may grow long and make social distancing harder to achieve.

He pointed out that there is limited supply of thermal scanners used for checking the temperatures of thousands who pass through control areas, thus delaying the movement of vehicles.

Long vehicular queues were also noted in the border of Muntinlupa City and San Pedro town in Laguna.

Difficulties in maintaining social distancing were also seen in getting a ride on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) trains as well as on the Philippine Railway trains.

However, at the platform area, the LRT was able to reduce the waiting crowd by half while the MRT made sure that only 100 passengers are aboard each train set.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Bong Nebrija said there was also a failure in imposing social distancing for buses that ply EDSA.

“People converge at the sight of an approaching bus, which has no choice but accept the passengers even without complying with the social distancing measure,” he added as he pointed out that passengers are supposed to be at least a meter apart.

He appealed to the public to stay home if they feel sick and to practice social distancing during public commute.

“Your health is your responsibility. The government is trying its best to avoid the spread of the virus and we need everybody’s cooperation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año praised the way the checkpoints are set up in the boundaries of Valenzuela, noting the isolation tents for those whose temperatures are above normal.

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian said those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms would be isolated in the tents while waiting to be assessed by the city’s epidemiology team.

Barangay health workers protected with face shields and masks were also deployed at checkpoints to help police officers in conducting thermal checkups.

The city hall also deployed 125 teachers to work as “grocery watchers” to strictly implement the anti-hoarding and anti panic-buying ordinance in Valenzuela.