The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is ready to provide assistance to the city government of Manila which is implementing a ''hard lockdown'' in Sampaloc District on Thursday evening.

In a TV interview, PNP chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa said local chief executives has control over policemen assigned to their area.

In case of Manila, he said the Manila Police District and its attached units are ready to help them.

“The local chief executives have the power to do that (hard lockdown) if that is the necessity… the police, they are just there to help if needed,” he said.

“Anyway, the mayor (Isko Moreno) has operational control over the policemen assigned to him or any other unit attached to Manila Police District… he can rightfully ask help for them to implement the total lockdown of Sampaloc,” he added.

Last April 21, Moreno announced Sampaloc will be under a two-day "hard lockdown" which will start at 8 pm of April 23 until 8 pm on Saturday, April 25.

This means residents must stay at home during that period, the mayor said.

Moreno said the Manila Health Department reported that the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is in Sampaloc with a total of 99 carriers and 159 suspected persons as of 5 pm of April 20.

He said the 48-hour shutdown will be implemented for the "purposes of disease surveillance, verification of testing and rapid risk assessment as the City response measures to the imminent threat posed by COVID-19 to the locality as well as to the entire city."

In a virtual briefing, Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the mayor was authorized by the Interagency Task Force to implement measures that will help the city.

“That kind of action so long as they consulted closely with the Department of Health and Department of Interior and Local Government are allowed by the IATF,” Malaya said. Ella Dionisio/DMS