The DILG said the incident in Gen. Trias, Cavite serves as a warning to all barangay officials that violations of minimum public health standards during the pandemic will not be tolerated.
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) welcomed the 30-day preventive suspension of all barangay officials involved in a caracol and mass gathering in Barangay Santiago in Gen. Trias City, Cavite last month.
“Kudos to the city mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Gen. Trias, Cavite for acting quickly on the ‘karakol’ incident. May other LGUs take a cue from this incident, putting into the forefront the stringent implementation of health protocols even down to the barangay level,” DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said.
Malaya said that following Secretary Eduardo Año’s order to conduct a fact-finding investigation, Gen. Trias Mayor Antonio Ferrer approved the recommendation of the SP to issue a 30-day preventive suspension to Barangay Santiago Punong Barangay (PB) Rolando Pagkaliwangan and Barangay Kagawads Joey Loyola, Francisco Solis, and Ferdinand Perdito.
Under Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 03-2021-176, the local council of Gen. Trias City recommended the issuance of preventive suspension for a period of 30 days against the concerned barangay officials pursuant to Section 63 of the Local Government Code to further investigate the incident and to provide an opportunity for the involved parties to be heard.
“Sa bahagi ng DILG, kami ay patuloy na umaasa na sa panahong ito [30-day suspension] ay makumpleto na ang imbestigasyon upang malaman kung tunay ngang nagkaroon ng pagpapabaya ang mga barangay officials at kung dapat silang sampahan ng kasong administratibo,” he said.
“Pinakamahalaga pa rin na ang mga LGU hanggang sa mga barangay ay matuto at mas maging mahigpit para hindi na maulit ang ganitong insidente lalo na ngayon na may community transmission na ang Delta variant,” he added.
Malaya said that he hopes the incident serves as a warning to all barangay officials that the DILG will not tolerate any violation of minimum public health standards during the pandemic.
In a viral video posted on social media, hundreds of residents of Barangay Santiago participated in a 'caracol' procession and mass gathering along Arnaldo Highway, deliberately violating MPHS such as wearing of facemask and face shield; and physical distancing during the time when the LGU was under the general community quarantine with heightened restrictions classification.
Prior to the imposition of the preventive suspension, the city mayor issued a show cause order against the concerned barangay officials after learning of the caracol procession participated in by several barangay residents which is a violation of local issuances and Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 2021-50.
Tags: #DepartmentOfInteriorandLocalGovernment, #GeneralTriasCavite, #healthprotocolviolations, #Covid19