Baguio, Philippines – The Baguio City Police Office confirmed today reports of persons being smuggled into the city through cargoes.
BCPO City Director P Col. Allen Rae Co said a ramdom check of a cargo truck at their checkpoint at Marcos Highway yielded three persons who are residents of Irisan, Kias and San Luis, being sneaked in by the cargo truck of H& E Fruits & Vegetables Trading bearing plate no. WKL 965. Co said that persistent reports of similar incidents were received from the staff members of Mayor Benjamin Magalong led by Chief of Staff Philip Puzon but they could not conduct inspections because of orders restricting them from checking cargo trucks. Co said to confirm the report he ordered a spot check on one cargo truck and busted three persons right away. Subject persons are now being investigated, he said. Magalong ordered the police to enforce necessary measures to address this trickery which he said is putting the city in danger as these persons have been evading quarantine protocols. Co said two kinds of checkpoints are in place — Quarantine Control Points ( QCP) and Dedicated Control Points ( DCP). The QCP manned by policemen are not allowed to check cargo trucks lest they hamper their movements while the DCP under the Highway Patrol Group are allowed to properly check. On orders of the mayor, Co coordinated with the Philippine National Police Regional Office and HPG for the deployment of an HPG member to each of the BCPO QCPs to enable them to conduct full inspections of cargo trucks. The mayor warned that those who will engage in such unscrupulous activity will be dealt with accordingly. The city effective March 28 closed its borders to non-essential travels and stranded residents from other provinces except Benguet to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The ban does not include deliveries of food, medicines and other essential items. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
