Davao del Sur: The Inter-Agency Task Force COVID 2019 tightened its boundary checkpoints securing the province against the spread of the now pandemic Corona Virus Disease 2019 as Davao Region implemented lockdown status started at exactly 12:01 AM of March 19, 2020 to flatten the curve on the spread of said virus in the country.
Task Force is a composite team composed of the members from concerned government agencies namely the Davao Sur Police Office, Provincial Health Office, 39IB Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, LGUs and Philippine Coast Guard in this plight against unseen enemy. Earlier, at 1:00 PM of March 18, 2020 the members of Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force met at DSPPO conference room discussing the strategies to be employed and tackled the implementing guidelines on the checkpoints to the provincial-wide Community Quarantine in support to the region wide Community Lockdown here in Davao Region.
One of the key strategies discussed was to mount the Inter-Agency Checkpoints strategically at Barangay Darong-Santa Cruz, Barangay Kinuskusan-Bansalan, Barangay Kiblagon-Sulop, and other entry points of Davao del sur.
The Inter-Agency checkpoints manned by Police Officers, Army Personnel, Barangay Health Workers, personnel from Bureau of Fire Protection was given a unified instruction established by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force COVID 2019 headed by the Davao City Mayor Hon. Sarah Z Duterte.
To ease confusions, the instruction to the front liners to abide is simplified into five items:
- No person shall be allowed to enter Davao Region except for vehicles with cargo and one driver without assistant;
- Cargo shall mean to include all animals;
- vehicle assistants maybe unloaded at the checkpoint to wait for the vehicle to comeback and leave Davao Region;
- 10 Infantry Division Philippine Army and Police Regional Office 11should divide the whole areas of all highways in Davao Region and assign which unit should secure the area for the protection of people and cargo travelling on the highways;
- and Everyone can leave the region any time but cannot comeback during the lock down period which is set for 14 days starting March 19, 2020.
The Davao Sur Police Provincial Office Director Police Colonel Alberto Lupaz reminded the troops to be patient and courteous in handling the lockdown and adhere the existing Police Operational Procedure and other PNP Command Guidelines as well as the Executive Order on Community Quarantine issued by Davao Sur Provincial Government headed by Hon Governor Douglas Ra Cagas.
He further said to the troops “As front liners, we are the shock absorbers of the anguishes of the people who will try to get in. Kahit ganon paman, trabaho lang tayo, this is for the safety of everyone.”