QC gov't to provide incentives for cops enforcing curfew, health protocols

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City local government will be incentivizing police officers for issuing ordinance violation receipts as the deployment of cops to enforce quarantine protocols continues. 

In a statement sent to reporters, the city government disclosed that Mayor Joy Belmonte issued a memorandum forming an incentive system "that will recognize the policemen's efforts in ensuring the implementation of minimum health standards in the city, specifically in public transportations, commercial establishments, and special concern lockdown areas in the city."

To recall, the uniform Metro Manila curfew officially began last Monday and saw the deployment of over 9,000 cops across the metro to tighten curfew enforcement and "compel" the public to follow health protocols. 

"The city government will be enforcing stricter monitoring of the implementation of health protocols with the help of QCPD led by Police Brig. Gen. Danilo Macerin," said Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte in the statement.

"To further encourage our 16 police stations in our enforcement, we will be initiating a non-cash, outputs-based incentive system for them," she also said. 

The latest data from the PNP Administrative Support for COVID-19 Task Force show that over the past week, police forces accosted more than 19,000 quarantine violators, 5,300 of whom were arrested.

According to Belmonte, the move is meant to "heighten the enforcement of health protocols in the city's 142 barangays, following the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks." All violators apprehended in the city will have to pay their respective penalties within seven days of issuance at the DPOS and City Treasurer's Office at the Quezon City Hall, or at satellite offices in QC.

With the memorandum's signing, police station commanders will intensify foot patrols in the following areas:

• The city's special lockdown areas
• Barangays with high cases
• Tambayan areas such as basketball courts
• Transport terminals and footbridges
• Public transportation hubs including tricycles
• Public markets and commercial establishments
• Government facilities and places of worship
• Areas where violations of health protocols are regularly observed or reported

According to the city information office, each police station will also be made to submit a daily report outlining the total number of ordinance violation receipts issued and highlighting the top three violations and barangays and establishments where most violations occurred.

The Department of Public Order and Safety will then analyze the reports and will forward them to the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, which will in turn issue recommendations as to where enforcement operations should be focused or re-focused.

As it currently stands, the following areas remain under special concern lockdown within Quezon City: 

• Portion of Durian Street, Barangay Pasong Tamo - starting February 25

• L. Pascual Street, Barangay Baesa – starting February 26 

• De Los Santos Compound, Heavenly Drive, Barangay San Agustin – starting March 1

• No. 46 K-9th Street, Barangay West Kamias expanded to No. 46-50, K-9th Street, Barangay West Kamias – starting March 3 and 8

• 49 & 51 E Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Barangay Doña Josefa – starting March 4

• Paul Street and Thaddeus Street, Jordan Park Homes Subdivision, Doña Carmen, Barangay Commonwealth – starting March 4

• No. 237 Apo Street, Barangay Maharlika – starting March 4

• No. 64 14th Avenue, Barangay Socorro – starting March 6

• No. 64-B Agno Extension, Barangay Tatalon – starting March 7

• No. 90 Gonzales Compound, Barangay Balon Bato – starting March 8 

• No. 2A – 4 K-6th, Barangay West Kamias – starting March 8

• Portion of Sitio 5, Jose Abad Santos, Barangay Sta. Lucia – starting March 9

• No. 20 and 22 Antique street in Barangay Ramon Magsaysay;

• No. 43 Langka street in Barangay Balingasa;

• Christ the King Mission Seminary on E. Rodriguez Avenue in Barangay Kristong Hari;

• No. 82 Mabituan street in Barangay Masambong; and

• PhilQ Manpower Services dormitory on Tulip street in Barangay Roxas

"We hope that through these incentives, we'll be able to expect full compliance with the health protocols of the city to at least lessen the transmission in our communities," Belmonte added in Filipino.

— Franco Luna 

Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.