Barangays arresting unvaccinated will only be 'last resort' —DILG

Barangay officials arresting unvaccinated individuals against COVID-19 who insist to go out would only be a “last resort,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Saturday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said barangay officials who will be following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to restrict movement of unvaccinated individuals would do so “within the bounds of the law.”

Duterte on Thursday ordered barangay officials to direct persons yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to stay at home amid the spike in COVID-19 infections believed driven by the Omicron variant.

He said barangay chairpersons could arrest these unvaccinated persons if they refused to cooperate.

“The President is merely exercising his authority as chief executive under the public health emergency. He was very clear in his directive that an arrest will only be a last resort,” Año said in a statement.

“Pakiusapan muna na pumirmi sa bahay (We are appealing to them to stay at home). Barangay officials may only arrest the unvaccinated individual who refuse to cooperate and who are leaving the homes for non-essential purposes,” he added.

The DILG secretary advised the public to present their vaccination cards to barangay officials and police officers as proof of vaccination upon request.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said barangay officials shall be guided by the ordinances passed by their respective local government units (LGUs).

He bared that seven LGUs in Metro Manila have approved ordinances restricting mobility of unvaccinated individuals.

Among these ordinances are Caloocan City Ordinance No. 0959, Quezon City Ordinance No. 3076, San Juan City Ordinance No. 2022-1, Valenzuela City Ordinance No. 976, Pateros City Ordinance No. 2022-01, Las Pinas City 02-2022, and Taguig City No. 62.

“The other LGUs in Metro Manila are currently in the process of deliberating their respective ordinances which should pass next week,” Malaya said.

The Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 NCR mayors, earlier approved that unvaccinated residents in Metro Manila will be ordered to stay at home unless they are buying and accessing essential goods and services while the National Capital Region is under Alert Level 3.

“We are doing this to protect the unvaccinated themselves because they are prone to critical illness and hospitalization and we need to protect our health care system from being overwhelmed with the exponential rise of coronavirus cases because of the Omicron variant,” he said.

The government has placed Metro Manila under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15, 2022 amid the increase in COVID-19 cases.

It also placed adjacent provinces Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal under Alert Level 3 from January 3 until January 15, while Laguna is under the same alert level starting January 7 until January 15.

Fourteen more cities and provinces were placed under Alert Level 3 starting January 9 until 15 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments will be allowed to operate at 30% indoor venue capacity only for fully vaccinated individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated.

Face-to-face classes, contact sports, funfairs or peryahan, and casinos are among the activities and establishments that are prohibited under Alert Level 3. —KG, GMA News