BAGUIO CITY – The city legislative body approved a resolution condemning in the strongest possible terms all those involved in the alleged smuggling of persons in the city over the past several weeks and urging the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong to ensure the strict monitoring of the city’s borders and enforce the penal provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One act to deter similar occurrences.
The resolution authored by members of the city legislative body stated that pursuant to the age-old saying ‘ the needs of many outweigh the needs of a few,’ there is a need for the city legislative body to declare the acts of all those involved in the smuggling of persons in the city as callous, petty, and outright selfish as it was done without due consideration to the greater interest of the whole city in its fight against the dreaded Coronavirus Disease (COVID) 2019.
Further, the city legislative body requested the BCPO and the city chief executive chief executive to deal with the unscrupulous individuals up to the full extent that the law permits to send a clear message that the city means business in its fight against the deadly virus.
The resolution claimed although the city empathize with the desire of the city/s residents to go home, city legislators cannot condone them at the moment as it puts the entire city at risk for evading the prescribed quarantine protocols.
City legislators also condemned the action of some vehicle owners who allegedly abuse their privilege of being exempted from the travel ban providing the city’s stranded residents with the means of entering the city without passing through the required quarantine protocols in the established checkpoints.
It will be recalled that during a random inspection along Marcos Highway over the weekend, BCPO personnel reportedly discovered that a truck belonging to H&E Fruits and Vegetables Tradings with license plate number WKL-965 was allegedly trying to sneak in three persons who are reportedly residents of Irisan, San Luis and Kias into the city which confirmed various reports of similar acts received by the city government.
The resolution asserted that the city government is strict enforcing the prescribed guidelines of the ongoing Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine which includes the restrictions into the ingress and egress into the city that started last March 28, 2020, and that only vehicles delivering food, medicines and other essentials are exempted from the prevailing travel ban.
According to the resolution, the same travel ban has unfortunately left many Baguio residents unable to enter the borders of the city thereby compelling them to look for all possible ways and means for them to be able to rejoin their families and relatives.
Republic Act (RA) 11469 otherwise known as the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act of 2020 provides that the operation of both private and public land, air and sea transportation will be regulated and limited and that it also provides penalties for disobeying national government policies or directives and imposing quarantines by officials of city government units.
By DEXTER A. SEE
