The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) appealed to the public, especially non-residents of the city, who are working and have official business transactions here to follow the strict security protocols in entering and exiting the city from Sept 1 to 15.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, BCPO’s public information officer, said motorists and commuters should give at least 2-hour allowance to their appointments or work schedule in the city to avoid delays as there is the possibility of long queue of vehicles at border control check-up points here.
Pico said vehicles usually clog the streets during peak hours at 7 am to 8 am and 4 pm to 6 pm daily.
The influx of travelers may be expected every Friday since many workers residing out of town also go home for the weekend.
Pico said policemen assigned to check-up points will check the identification cards and other travel documents required before entering the city.
“If they violate the protocol and insisted, they will have to undergo a swab test and quarantine procedure at their own expense,” Pico said.
He added that violators will also be facing criminal charges for disobedience and violations of Republic Act 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act), and RA 11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act).
As of 12 am Wednesday, 27 inner and eight outer border control check-up points were already placed in the city.
Pico said they also upgraded their alert status from heightened to full alert for two weeks while the city is under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until September 30 amid the rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.
(Glazyl Masculino via The Daily Guardian, photo by Bacolod City Public Information Office)