The city government is clamping down on individuals who are not wearing face masks while outside the public spaces.
Lawyer Arnel Pedrosa, the city administrator, in a phone interview on Friday, said that the local government is exercising its “regulatory powers” against the business establishments who are posing “danger on public health” for violating health protocols, specifically City Ordinance No. 1050 which requires the wearing of face masks in public places amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hindi lang sarili nila, o ‘yong mga mamimili, ang nilalagay nila sa alanganin kundi pati ang publiko,” Pedrosa said.
The city incident management team (IMT) and the business permits and licensing office (BPLO), in a joint operation with the anti-crime task force (ACTF) and city information office (CIO), has apprehended individuals in a random inspection to the commercial establishments who do not observe the minimum health standards imposed by the Department of Health (DOH) and the local government.
“Those who were caught in the act and by a hidden camera were immediately given notice of violations with corresponding fines and penalties,” the statement from IMT said.
Citation tickets were issued against violators who were “caught in the act”.
Based on Section 8.A of the local ordinance, first offense violators shall be fined with P300, while second offense amounts to P500, and the third offense is at P1,000.
(With a report from Jeshyl Guiroy)
