Law is law: DILG wants beggars on streets apprehended

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged the police, barangay personnel, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) government to take action on increasing beggars on the streets.

In an online news forum this Sunday, DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño said that homeless people who could be spreading the virus should be caught.

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“Batas ay batas. Dapat iyan hinuhuli ng mga pulis, dapat dinadala sa DSWD kasi baka hindi mo alam, baka ito na ’yung nagkakalat ng pandemya dahil unang-una, exposed ito,” said Diño.

(Law is law. The police should catch them. They should be taken to the DSWD because you may not know, they may be the ones who are spreading the pandemic because first of all, they are exposed.)

Some of the beggars on the roads today are locally-stranded individuals, jeepney drivers who are still unable to drive, and others who lost their jobs amid the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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According to Diño, it is the obligation of the police and barangay personnel to pick up the homeless and turn over to the DSWD, who, in turn, will take care of them.

“Wala dapat sila sa lansangan, pandemya tayo ngayon. Walang pinipili ang pandemya,” said Diño.

(They should not be on the streets, we are in pandemic now. The pandemic chooses no one.)

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“Hindi porke mahirap ka, ikaw ay may lisensiya na kumatok at um-ano sa lahat ng mga ano,” dagdag niya.

(Not just because you are poor, you have the license to ask from people.)

DILG wants hazard pay for barangay employees

Meanwhile, DILG has called for hazard pay for barangay employees now that there is a pandemic.

In the list of compensation and benefits of barangay officials found on the Department of Budget and Management website, they are not entitled to hazard pay.

According to Diño, the health of barangay workers, like the police and other government employees who serve as frontliners, is also at stake.

“Sino ba ang nag-lock ng barangay mo, ng kada street? ’di ba mga tanod? Sino ’yung nagpapamigay ng mga pagkain? ’Di ba mga tanod at mga health worker? Sino nagpamigay ng quarantine pass? Oh, sinong exposed na exposed nagyon? Ang tanong, naka-PPE ba itong mga barangay? Wala!” he said.