Año says local chief executives to have authority impose lockdowns
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said once President Rodrigo Duterte approved their recommendation, local chief executives will have the authority to impose their own community quarantine restrictions.
"On our shift of policy, there will be no wide lockdowns but only granular lockdown and LGUs have a big role because they willl be the one to determine their community quarantine classification," Año said in a radio interview.
"The national (government) will only determine if there is a specific area that needs to be under ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) or the highest lockdown," he said.
Año said there will be different categories depending on the alert level that LGUs will use for them to determine what areas will be placed on lockdown.
He called their recommendation "living with the virus".
"Other areas can be on granular lockdown while other areas can remain under GCQ (general community quarantine) so that the economic activity can continue," he said.
Año said they are eyeing on implementing it by September 8 or 13 once Duterte approves it.
He said under this process, only health workers will be allowed to go out.
He also said that aid will still be distributed in areas that will be placed under ECQ.
As to the provinces, Año said imposing quarantine restrictions in specific areas must be approved first by the regional Interagency Task Force and regional National Task Force. Ella Dionisio/DMS
