LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some two hundred seventy-three individuals were successively arrested by personnel of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station (LTMPS) for various violations of the guidelines governing the implementation of the extended Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that was expected to be lifted on May 15, 2020.
LTMPS Chief Police Maj. Cleff Vencio disclosed that there were some 165 individuals who were rounded up by the police from March 17 to April 29, 2020 for alleged violation of the prevailing 24-hour curfew and liquor ban while another 79 individuals were arrested and charged for violation of the provisions of Ordinance No. 03, series of 2020 or the local curfew ordinance.
Further, Vencio reported that some 31 individuals were also arrested and charged for alleged disobedience to an agent of a person in authority.
Under the aforesaid ordinance, violators will be imposed a fine of P500 for the first offense, a fine of P1,500 for the second offense and a fine of P2,500 or imprisonment of 5 days or both upon the discretion of the court for the third offense.
The police official admitted that bulk of those who were arrested and charged for violation of the prevailing 24-hour curfew was made by the police at the start of the implementation of the ECQ but the number of people being arrested for such violation significantly decline as the ECQ prospered.
Vencio asserted that with the further extension of the ECQ, law enforcers will continue to strictly implement the same to instill discipline among the residents for them to respect the prevailing ECQ guidelines as the same is for the best interest of the people who have to be spared from contracting the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to him, sufficient number of police personnel had been deployed around the municipality to man the different checkpoints and conduct the usual mobile and foot patrols to send a clear message to the residents that the ECQ should be respected and that people should learn to stay at home if they have nothing important to do outside their residences because of the threat of being exposed to the elements that will lead to their possibly contracting the contagious virus.
Aside from doing their regular work on the field, Vencio stated that the members of the local police force are also providing security to the regular business operations of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post, the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) and the different private vegetable trading centers in the locality because of the influx of traders wanting to purchase vegetables for their clients in the lowlands and other Metro Manila markets.
Vencio stipulated that the local police force will continue to be vigilant and on alert for any eventuality during the ECQ so that whatever lawless that will happen in the municipality will be prevented to sustain the prevailing decent peace and order situation.
La Trinidad is serving as the capital town of Benguet where bulk of the province’s trade and commerce activities are being conducted and where most of the crimes are being committed by elements wanting to create trouble and train a bad image of the municipality due to the occurrence of crimes.
By HENT