The local government deployed armored personnel carriers to assist Navotas on its first day of city-wide lockdown amid the COVID-19 crisis.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Debold Sinas also inspected the situation in the area.
“Sa ngayon, maganda naman po ‘yung deployment natin at pag-iikot ng tropa natin. Kasi nga sinasanay namin, this is the first day of deployment,” Sinas said in Allan Gatus’ live report on Dobol B sa News TV.
(For now, our deployment and rotation of our troops are good. This is because we trained them; this is the first day of deployment.)
The NCRPO chief said the two armored personnel carriers do not intend to scare the residents but only to remind them about the presence of police officers in the area.
“Hindi naman [kami nananakot]. Ito kasi para mapakita natin [na] tumulong sa atin ‘yung SAF (Special Action Force), para ma-remind sa mga kababayan natin na nandiyan po kami, ang SAF, police din po ‘yan… kasama po namin… ay nagpaalala na sumunod tayo sa mga direktiba ng city mayor ng Navotas,” Sinas said.
(We are threatening them. This is so that we can show the SAF (Special Action Force) helped us to remind our countrymen that we are there, the SAF, that is also the police with us. We are here to tell them that we only follow the directives of the city mayor of Navotas.)
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Mayor Toby Tiangco placed the entire Navotas under a 14-day lockdown, but business establishments, however, are allowed to operate so as not to disrupt the economy.
“Kailangan namin gawin ‘to, wala kaming choice kasi ang tigas ng ulo ng tao eh,” the mayor said, citing incidents of children being allowed to play outside their homes by their parents.
(We need to do this, we have no choice because people are stubborn.)
The lockdown will end on July 29.
As of this posting, Navotas City has recorded 1,074 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 344 recoveries and 69 deaths.
As of July 15, the Philippines recorded 58,850 cases of COVID-19, 1,614 deaths, and 20,976 recoveries.