La Union Notes Zero Crime amid Enhanced Community Quarantine

April 5, 2020 Provincial

The Province of La Union has recorded zero crime incidences since the start of the implementation of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), as authorities continue to curb Coronavirus Disease (COVID2019).
In a phone interview on April 2, 2020, La Union Provincial Police Office (LUPPO) Provincial Director PCOL Jay R Cumigad said the LUPPO has not recorded any crime against person nor against property in the province since March 17, 2020.
PCOL Cumigad attributed this not only to the strengthened police presence, but also the cooperation of the residents at the height of the quarantine period.
“All the entry and exit points in the province are manned by the police round the clock,” PCOL Cumigad said. “Most people are also in their homes, hence crime incidents lowered,” he added.
More than 250 police personnel are now deployed in various checkpoints all over the province. They were given proper Personal Protective Equipment as they were deployed in the COVID-19 operations.
Meanwhile, the regular law enforcement of the police remains and has been intensified.
The LUPPO chief, however, reported there were violators of the ECQ Executive Order, mostly on curfew and use of public transportation. Around 100 violators were recorded on the ECQ’s first week.
The number, however, dwindled as the ECQ transitioned. “With our strict implementation, residents understood that they needed to comply,” PCOL Cumigad said.
The LUPPO has also prepared a contingency plan to instill peace and order should any civil unrest arise.
Special teams have been formed to handle situations such as anti-looting and crowd dispersal. PCOL Cumigad reminded the public to remain calm but alert in the midst of the pandemic. “The rules are basic: stay at home and follow the orders of the authorities.”
La Union is now under 24/7 curfew, as per Provincial Advisory No. 1 issued by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III following the directive of the national government.
Justin Paul D. Marbella, PIO-MPIU