Bontoc records 148 violators of health protocol in one day

September 14, 2020 Provincial

Bontoc, Mountain Province – A total of 148 violators were recorded due to non –compliance of the minimum health standards while 41 individuals were penalized due to prohibited parking and unattended parking during the kick-off of operation of the Task Force Kalasag of Bontoc on September 10, 2020.
According to PCapt. Barnard Bone Navarra, the Chief of Police of the Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS), the 148 violators are covered under Provincial Ordinance No. 372, “An Ordinance Setting the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of the Minimum Health Standards in Mountain Province and Providing Penalties Thereof”.
Of the 148 violators, 120 were listed due to violation of the mandatory and proper wearing of facemask while the remaining 20 were penalized for non-observance of physical social distancing.
A “one-stop-shop” processing area was set-up at the Circle Rotunda where the violators were brought for documentation and where the personnel of the Office of the Municipal Treasurer is deployed to collect payment of violators of social distancing, prohibited parking, and unattended parking.
Navarra explained that the names of the violators of the mandatory wearing of facemask were forwarded to their respective barangay local government units where the violators must pay or settle the penalty indicated in the ordinance.
Under the provincial ordinance, an offender shall attend community service or awareness on COVID-19 for at least three hours to be conducted by the barangay or municipal concerned for the first offense.
For the second offense, a fine of P1, 000 shall be paid by the offender or establishment and cancellation of the business permit or both at the discretion of the court without prejudice to prosecution under other laws. Navarra cautioned that failure to settle or pay the penalty by the violators shall mean non-issuance of Barangay Clearance, Police Clearance, and Municipal Clearance should they need it.
The successful operation is a result of the convergence of the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU), the barangay government unit in the four central barangays of Bontoc, and the various national agencies in the fight against the Coronavirus disease -2019 (COVID-19), and the implementation of other local ordinances.
Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey named the group Task Force Kalasag of which interventions, initiatives, and response against COVID-19 are consolidated and implemented. In his message during the kick-off operation, Odsey mentioned that the Task Force Kalasag shall adopt the principle of the “Whole –of –the –Nation “approach wherein all stakeholders shall work together to ensure and promote the health and safety of the community.
Odsey added that the Simultaneous Anti- COVID -19 Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) conceptualized by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local ordinances shall be simultaneously conducted and be implemented by concerned government agencies.
The mayor added that this measure aimed to address the need for consistent and strict implementation of minimum health standards and policies to fight the COVID -19. Likewise, Odsey solicited the usual cooperation of the pubic to comply with the health protocol to prevent and avoid the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Navarra mentioned that the implementation of the provincial ordinance on the adherence to minimum health standards and other local ordinances such as unattended parking and prohibited parking is a daily operation of the Bontoc MPS.
He also expressed high hopes that the operation of Task Force Kalasag will be implemented twice in a month following the success of the first operation conducted. Navarra joined Mayor Odsey in reminding the public to adhere to the minimum health standards especially on the proper use of facemask and face shield and observance of physical social distancing.
Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc –LGU