Bulacan checkpoint evader killed in ‘shooutout’

MALOLOS, Philippines — An unidentified armed man was killed early yesterday morning after evading an enhanced community quarantine checkpoint in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

Acting Bulacan police director Col. Lawrence Cajipe said the suspect who was driving a motorcycle evaded a quarantine checkpoint in the town’s Barangay Maasim, which led to a pursuit by the quick reaction team (QRT) of local police that tried to pull over the suspect in Barangay Poblacion.

The QRT was met with gunfire and the suspect continued fleeing toward Barangay Sumandig.

The QRT pursued the suspect until they cornered him in Barangay Putol, where he exchanged gunfire with police operatives and was eventually neutralized around 2:20 a.m.

Police recovered a caliber .45 pistol and a blue Rusi motorcycle without license plate at the scene.

Inconsistent orders

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday told police officers to disobey orders from local chief executives which are inconsistent with the directives laid out by President Duterte on the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya made the statement as they continued to receive reports about local government officials giving out orders that are contradictory to the guidelines issued by Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

These include restricting the movement of cargo trucks delivering food items, medicines and other basic commodities, which should have unhampered travel as stated by Duterte.

If there are inconsistencies at the level of local government units (LGUs), Malaya said police officers should always follow the rules set by the national government.

“They should get their orders from the President and not from LGUs. They are national government employees and not employees of LGUs,” he said in a text message.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said that except for random inspections, police officers should not restrict the movement of delivery trucks.

“We will not even be looking for any document except if it’s cargo, it should really be unhampered. However, from time to time the PNP may also inspect because, you know, other people might take advantage of this situation,” Gamboa said in a television interview over UNTV.

Malaya said the same policy should be applied for empty trucks returning to their points of origin, meaning they should not be given a hard time at security checkpoints.

“It’s included in the regulation on whether there’s cargo or none, so long as it’s cargo truck, it should be allowed to pass through,” he said in an interview over radio dzMM.

Aside from delivery trucks, the DILG has also been receiving reports of physicians, nurses and other health workers being forced by police officers manning checkpoints to walk to their destinations.

The agency has also received complaints from Cabanatuan City of arrogant barangay peacekeeping officers manning checkpoints.

Malaya said barangays can set up checkpoints only after coordinating with the local police.

He also reminded governors, mayors and other local government officials that they should not institute orders beyond the President’s directives. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan