After the public uproar due to the strict prohibition of driving and fetching authorized persons outside residence (APORs) during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Philippine National Police (PNP) has reverted their decision to restrict fetchers. They are now just imposing a set of requirements for fetchers while outside their residences.
PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said, “Ngayon po ay ia-allow na itong mga non-APOR na magmaneho, maghatid-sundo hindi lamang sa healthcare workers kundi pati na rin po sa iba pang worker APOR natin.”
Eleazar said non-authorized person outside residence (non-APOR) may fetch essential workers by presenting the following requirements to personnel manning the quarantine control points:
- Certificate of Employment (COE) of the Worker-APOR from the Employer, indicating the name of the designated non-APOR driver/fetcher of the worker-APOR, the make and plate number of the vehicle to be used, and the contact number of the employer;
- Copy of Business Permit of the Employer.
Eleazar also warned people against using fake or illegitimate documents as the PNP will conduct “random counter-checking.”
The initial prohibition of driving and fetching authorized persons outside residence (APORs) during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was reverted with the blessing of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and the National Task Force Against COVID-19. It is also upon the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The agency said the plan to ban the practice of fetching APORs to and from their workplaces “jeopardizes the APORs’ ability to carry out their crucial roles in combatting the pandemic and exposes them to higher risk of infection as there is no guarantee that there are enough public utility vehicles available during ECQ.”
Again, the National Capital Region (NCR) will be under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20 in an effort to address the possible spread of the Delta coronavirus variant.
