'Modified' checkpoints can be stopped in case of traffic, quarantine task force says

MANILA, Philippines — The government's quarantine enforcement task force announced Thursday that modified checkpoints could be temporarily stopped in the event that they caused traffic congestion. 

In a statement sent to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield (JTF CV Shield) said that the way checkpoints in Metro Manila and other urban areas nationwide are conducted will be modified to suit the influx of vehicles expected with the partial re-opening of the economy. 

"Once there is already a traffic build-up, the checking could be stopped temporarily to allow all the vehicles pass freely. The strict checking of vehicles will resume when traffic situation de-escalated,” said Eleazar.

“The modified checkpoint will also be implemented in other parts of the country. The rule is that the strict checking of vehicles will continue unless there is already a long line of traffic build-up,” he added.

According to the JTF CV Shield, there are over 4,000 quarantine checkpoints still set up across the country in order to continuously restrict the unnecessary movement of people as the threat of the coronavirus remains.

The task force earlier said that the checkpoints would stay even in areas recently lifted to low-risk status by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. 

Police Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz, PNP Highway Patrol Group Director, said he has already ordered the deployment of hundreds of his men to conduct mobile checkpoints which will be set up in strategic areas based on the assessment of local commanders.

“HPG personnel were instructed to conduct random inspection of vehicles to check if those on board are on APOR’s list or physical distancing is observed,” he said.

“Motorists must be aware that they will be cited if caught with violation, which should serve as a deterrence to others,” he added. 

Looming transport crisis

According to Eleazar, this was also to prevent the buildup of traffic along major thoroughfares. 

Transport planners and advocates in the past week have been cautioning over what they say is an inevitable second wave of coronavirus cases caused by the incongruence between a dilapidated and severely limited public transportation system and countless workers forced to go back to work where they can. 

Even lawmakers have acknowledged that the administration had "ghosted" the needs of the sector. 

LOOK: On the first day of the modified enhanced community quarantine in several parts of the country, heavy traffic can already be seen in Marcos Highway. #COVID19PH

???? The STAR/Walter Bollozos pic.twitter.com/tOEnTd2Svp

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) May 16, 2020

“With the downgrading of Community Quarantine status in almost all areas in the country, there is a significant increase of motor vehicles everywhere. There are times where we cannot check all vehicles passing through our fixed checkpoints since this could create monstrous traffic congestion, which will defeat the purpose of partially reopening the economy,” said Eleazar.

“Quarantine Control Points (QCPs), based on what happens in the ground, can adjust accordingly. Modified checkpoints or random checking can be implemented to minimize traffic congestion and public inconvenience," he added. 

Heightened presence

Police and military presence is set to pick up significantly in the coming days, with many slated to return to work as some low-risk areas graduate to general community quarantine. 

Both the national police and the army have also been tapped by the chief executive—who has not been shy about his preference for militarist solutions as part of the country's coronavirus response—to assist in distributing cash and material aid in harder to reach areas.

Eleazar himself has said that stricter measures are the 'new normal' and appealed for the public to comply with GCQ regulations, including physical distancing. 

Similar to the first few weeks of the ECQ that saw officials repeatedly characterizing Filipinos as "pasaway" or stubborn, the task force has also asked the public to avoid going to malls for 'leisure,' despite many malls housing supermarkets and pharmacies, among other establishments which are considered essential businesses and services.

Non-essentials and leisure establishments remain closed. 

According to the JTF CV Shield's latest daily update sent to reporters on Thursday morning, 52,535 quarantine violators have been arrested since the enhanced community quarantine was first implemented on March 17, over two months ago. 

This, as the health department on Thursday afternoon recorded 213 new cases of the new pathogen, bringing the number of active cases in the country to 9,588. 

Related Stories

'Strict measures are the new normal' under General Community Quarantine

PNP, AFP tapped to assist in social amelioration distribution

Expert warns of impending public transport crisis