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Covid-19 community quarantine extended ‘Sulu appeals for medical equipment, assistance to fight deadly virus’
S
ULU PROVINCE in southern Philippines has extended its general home quarantine until end of April in an effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, or Covid-19, that has already claimed the lives of 3 people there. Governor Sakur Tan cial and municipal hos- the regional government appealed anew to the pitals still lack medical and national agencies, but public to follow the strict equipment to support the received nothing. quarantine guidelines campaign in combatting “Because of the aband to stay at home and the spread of the deadly sence of testing kits, the maintain social distanc- respiratory disease, now a incapacity of our hospiing and wear face mask global pandemic. tals, lack of ventilators if ever they go out to buy He said the provincial and shortage of sufficient essential goods. government has been ask- medical personnel to Tan said the provin- ing medical support from Continue on page 3
Zambo to issue color-coded quarantine passes ZAMBOANGA CITY Mayor Beng Climaco has approved the issuance of color-coded quarantine passes to minimize or limit the presence or movement of people in public areas and prevent the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, in Zamboanga. Each family will get one color-coded pass and this will enable the holder to go out and buy their essential needs on a certain period. Continue on page 2
Governor Sakur Tan meets with Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Nur Misuari and discusses the government’s peace efforts in Sulu. (Sulu Govt. Photo)
Military pursues Sayyafs Mayor Beng Climaco together with Vice Mayor Rommel Agan and Atty. Kenneth Vincent Beldua, Secretary to the City Council, show the approved emergency ordinance.
THE PHILIPPINE military continues to pursue the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf behind the recent brutal killings of 11 soldiers in the southern province of Sulu.
More security forces were deployed in Patikul town, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf following the deadly clashes last Friday afternoon. The national govern-
ment condemned the slaying of the soldiers. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest incident in Patikul, Sulu, where Continue on page 3
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Zambo to issue color-coded quarantine passes Continued from page 1 This new guideline was finalized after Climaco met with the security sector represented by Zamboanga City Police Director Col. Thomas Joseph Martir and Joint Task Force Zamboanga chief, Col. Antonio John Divinagracia, and Vice Mayor Rommel Agan, among others. Atty. Kenneth Vincent Beldua, Secretary to the City Council, also explained this at a presser recently at City Hall together with City Administrator Apple Go. He said the color-coded passes are all printed by the City Government and distributed by the barangay officials to individual families. The first phase of the implementation of color-coded is as follows: Quarantine Pass A: holders of this pass are allowed to leave their residence on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Quarantine Pass B: allowed to leave their residences on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. And if the situation so demands, he said the mayor will implement the second phase following
the color-coding scheme where quarantine pass holders are allowed to leave twice a week only depending on their assigned color. Beldua said essential workers shall also be issued a special pass, but in the meantime, they can present their company ID or employer’s certificate to police checkpoints. He said frontliners such as medical workers, social workers and the like, government officials and employees performing governmental functions or forming part of the skeletal workforce of the various agencies and other emergency responders shall only be required their ID at the checkpoints. And on Sundays, Beldua said no quarantine pass shall be honored, except for medical emergencies. “This is the time where we need to disinfect and clean public areas,” he said. He said those with illnesses requiring constant medical attention and procedures such as dialysis, chemotherapy and the like are exempted. “They will just need to present their medical cer-
tificate. Their companion or watcher shall likewise be allowed to accompany them,” Beldua said. He said the mayor also approved an emergency ordinance protecting Covid-19 patients, PUIs and PUMs and members of their family, including medical workers and other frontliners from discrimination. The ordinance also contains prohibition on the restriction of movements of medical and other frontliners; violation of the strict home quarantine; disclosure of confidential personal information of patients, PUMs and PUIs; the non-wearing of face masks in public; non-observance of the social distancing rule and non-observance of curfew hours which is from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and prohibiting the drinking liquor in public; the conduct of mass gatherings; disregarding checkpoints and hoarding of essential commodities. The penalties for the above violations include imprisonment from 1 day to one year and or fine ranging from P500 to P5000. (Zamboanga Post)
April 20-26, 2020
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April 20-26, 2020
Covid-19 community quarantine extended ‘Sulu appeals for medical equipment, assistance to fight deadly virus’
Governor Sakur Tan meets with Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Nur Misuari and discusses the government’s peace efforts in Sulu. (Sulu Govt. Photo) Continued from page 1 attend to a sudden surge of Covid, our only viable course of action is prevention through a province-wide general community quarantine. We cannot afford to take any chances of putting at risk the lives of our people as a consequence of relaxing our quarantine proce-
dures,” he said. “Prevention is the only available option at our disposal at the moment, considering that we are not equipped medically and still denied of even the most basic of testing kits and other related equipment, either from the regional government or national agencies. For
reasons aforementioned, it would be grossly unfair if our local initiatives would be measured by the same yardstick used in other better equipped provinces and regions in the country,” he added. Tan, who heads the local Task Force Covid-19, said while Sulu - one of 5 provinces under the Mus-
Military pursues Sayyafs Continued from page 1 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group believed to be under ASG leader Radullan Sahiron and Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan attacked government troops resulting in a firefight, which left 11 soldiers killed and 14 wounded.” “The Office of the President expresses its sincerest condolences to the bereaved families left behind by our brave soldiers who fought hard and paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our community. We honor and pray for the fallen,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. It was the second deadly fighting since April 16 where three soldiers were also wounded. The fighting occurred amid the coronavirus pandemic and while soldiers were assisting in the government humanitarian and health efforts to control or prevent the spread of the deadly virus. “The enemies of the State choose no date and occasion. They strike even during this time of great
pandemic. But let this serve as a warning to all - our authorities remain ready and prepared to crush the enemies of the government and quell any armed attack amid the existing state of calamity and public health emergency,” Roque said. The Western Mindanao Command under Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana also released a statement shortly after midnight Friday and similarly condemned the slaying of the soldiers. “The Western Mindanao Command empathizes with the bereaved families of our fallen heroes who, with their intestinal fortitude, fought hard and braved the encounter against the Abu Sayyaf group in Danag, Patikul, Sulu at 3:05 p.m. (Friday). The Western Mindanao Command’s Joint Task Forces nevertheless sustain their security operations while they take the lead in the strict enforcement of the quarantine,” it said. Media reports said the soldiers are members of the
21st Infantry Battalion and Scout Ranger, and among the dead was a lieutenant. News website Rappler reported that the soldiers lost seven R4 assault rifles, one grenade launcher and a K3 machine gun, including a radio transceiver to the Abu Sayyaf. Gruesome photos of the slain soldiers posted on Facebook have since gone viral. Security forces are battling the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group for the past 2 decades now and despite government efforts to lure them to surrender in exchange for livelihood and financial aid, its members continue to wage a violent campaign in the restive region. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to ISIS or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and vowed to put up a caliphate in Mindanao, one of the country’s three main islands largely populated by Christians, although the region was once under the powerful rule of the sultans. (Zamboanga Post)
lim autonomous region - being remotely located and poorly equipped, “we took the cudgels of facing this plague on our own through gutsy determination and optimizing our meager resources.” “May we, as your fellow Filipinos, further entreat our regional and national government to focus your attention and provide for our needs for testing kits, ventilators and other essential resources as equally as you do the other provinces. In spite of our sparse resources, we are one with our country in helping and contributing in whatever way we can in fighting and defeating Covid-19,” he said. Tan earlier appealed for medical equipment after the deaths of the 3 patients. “The public can understand the Provincial Government’s limited medical capabilities, but we can sense their restlessness and queries are abound on why the delay of much needed equipment and kits,” he said. Despite Sulu’s meagre resources, Tan said they were able to provide relief assistance to all 19 municipalities. The provincial government also released additional 5,000 bags of 50-kilo or over 250 tons of rice to different towns to help feed the villagers. The following towns received their share: Jolo - 800 sacks, Patikul - 300, Panglima Tahil - 300 sacks, Pangutaran - 300 sacks, Talipao - 300 sacks, Parang - 300 sacks, Pata - 300 sacks, Siasi - 300 sacks, Pandami - 300 sacks,
Tapul - 300 sacks, Lugus 300 sacks, Panamao - 300 sacks, Omar - 300 sacks, Kalinggalang Caluang 300 sacks, Indanan - 100 sacks, Patikul - 200 sacks, Luuk - 50 sacks. Residents have received a bag of rice and grocery items from the local governments. Tan ordered more food packs, medicines and vitamins to indigent families and distribution of personal protective equipment to medical and social workers, and other frontliners to protect them from the respiratory virus. Since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the enhanced community quarantine in March, the regional government headed by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim said it
only allotted a total of 155 million to the local governments to intensify their efforts in containing the spread of the virus in the region with nearly 4 million population. Each of the provinces under Ebrahim’s rule - Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - received only 5 million. Its three cities - Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan – received 2 million each. And 116 municipalities got only 1 million each, and the 63 villages in North Cotabato receive a total of 8 million. The money was part of the contingency fund of the Muslim autonomous region to augment the local quick response fund of the local governments. (Zamboanga Post)
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April 20-26, 2020
Sulu Pictures in the News
(Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor)
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April 20-26, 2020
DSWD deletes half of Zambo’s poor families from SAP ZAMBOANGA CITY – Half of Zamboanga’s poorest population was taken out from the government’s Special Amelioration Program, or SAP, and now the local government is asking for additional funding to feed all those removed from the cash emergency subsidy. Mayor Beng Climaco said Zamboanga has more than 200,000 poor families who are supposed beneficiaries of the SAP, but the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or DSWD, only approved 112,000 families based on its 2015 census. But Zamboanga was not alone. Almost all local governments in the country also complained that the DSWD has removed many poor beneficiaries from the SAP list. “There are supposed to be more than 200,000 families (who are beneficiaries of SAP), but this was cut down (by DSWD) to around 112,000 and we are continually rolling this out, and in fact all of the departments of the local government ay nagtutulungan para i-print ang 500 reams ng mga papel (for Social Amelioration Card) at iniro-rollout na namin sa mga different barangays at mayroon orientation and afterwards evaluation and distribution,” she said. Climaco said the local government has been using its P400 million supplemental budget its efforts
to fight the spread of the Covid-19, among other related expenses and it needs more funds to sustain the SAP, particularly those that were stricken out of the DSWD list of poor beneficiaries. “Yun budget namin allocated really in the fight against Covid-19 is around P400 million supplemental at kasama na rin dito ang mga bayad sa ating mga workers, bagama’t itong napagkasyahan namin (budget) to fight Covid-19 and kulang ang supplemented funds namin to also provide for all those na hindi naisali sa SAP kaya magre-request na lang kami ng additional funding from the national government so that we will be able to address the items, the number of families originally allocated kasi ang basis nila (DSWD) is 2015 data and we are now 2020 and we know the DSWD will be able to allocate the second wave of assistance,” she said. The SAP is intended for some 18 million families whose lives are greatly affected by the enhanced community quarantine imposed by President Rodrigo Duterte in March following the outbreak of the pandemic which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year. “We are rolling out already the distribution of SAP and bagama’t kulang ang identified families
ng DSWD, we will really comply. We are thankful to (DSWD) Secretary Roland Bautista and we are trying to be very fully cooperative by reaching out to the families, and in fact meron tayong innovation sa Zamboanga City and there are residents na nanghiram ng mga drones from the City Government at pina-plot nila yun mga kabahayan sa bundok na napakalayo para ma-reach out sila ng ating mga social workers kasi kung mano-mano ang gagawin ay napakalayo ng mga bahay at kung aakyatin nila and we will do it with the use of technology. The Ateneo de Zamboanga University and the Western Mindanao State University are helping us with the contact tracing of the patients,” Climaco said. She also suggested that overseas Filipino workers, be tested for Covid-19 before they are allowed entry to Zamboanga. She cited the dozens of Filipinos who arrived from Covid-infected Sabah in Malaysia and were quarantined on Sibakel Island off Basilan province’s Lantawan town last month. “Yun mga persons na pumasok galing sa Sibakel Island sa Basilan after the 21-day period quarantine none of them were really tested and we would also like to recommend to OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator) Administrator Hans Leo
An old woman is assisted by her family members in the village of Limpapa in Zamboanga City. She is one of 371 beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (Bong Serondo) Cacdac that we will really comply with the policy directives of the national government na papasukin ang ating mga OFWs na stranded sa Metro Manila and Clark (International Airport) kung puwede kasi may access naman sa DOH - if possible to have all of them tested so that the local government units will not be burden in a way na tatanggapin natin and then ipapa-quarantine na naman.” “Kasi hindi naman enough yun quarantine certificate na asymptomatic, it will really be best for the help of the local government units kasi wala
naman naibibigay na test kits sa Zamboanga City, so sila (OWWA and DOH) na lang ang mag-swab at ipakita sa kanila ang quarantine certificate na they have been tested and found negative bago sila (OFWs) papasukin kasi nga iyon ang requirements sa atin mga lungsod na kailangan natin tanggapin ang mga OFWs na nag-quarantine sa ibat-ibang lugar,” Climaco further explained. She said the security forces and village leaders are now on the frontline and guarding the borders to prevent the entry of suspected Covid-infected people from Malaysia.
“Well, nag-lockdown na rin yun Sulu at Tawi-Tawi and they are very strict, but again we really cannot prevent the entry of persons coming in from Malaysia in these borders and that is why the Philippine Coast Guard down to our barangay captains are the ones monitoring the entry of persons into the city of Zamboanga,” Climaco said. Zamboanga has hundreds of suspected Covid-19 cases and nearly 2 dozen related deaths and 8 confirmed cases, although one of them had recovered from the deadly disease. (Zamboanga Post)
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April 20-26, 2020
Across : 1. ___ Beta Kappa 4. “___ Got a Secret” 7. Slumber 12. Spain’s cont. 13. Nothing 14. ___ dot 15. Pseudonyms 17. Small landmases 18. Talked back 19. Chicken part 20. Truman’s monogram 21. Retiree’s acct. 22. Peaks 24. Quandary 29. Lion’s sound 30. Barrel 31. Vietnam’s neighbor 32. Wyoming’s neighbor 34. Speed contests 35. Voice actor ___ Blanc 36. ___ snail’s pace (2 wds.) 37. Accumulate over time 41. Fashion’s ___ Cardin 44. Slobber 45. Roped 46. Thick 47. Imitate 48. Vane dir. 49. Like honey 50. Petrol 51. Electrified particle
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April 20-26, 2020
China continues to help Philippines fight Covid-19
A TEAM of Chinese medical experts sent by Beijing to help the Philippines fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, are racing against time to render all necessary assistance to stop the deadly respiratory disease from further infecting the country of 108 million population. The Philippines has recorded over 5,000 Covid-19 cases since March and more than 300 are dead from the virus which originally broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year and eventually spread in 210 countries and territories affecting nearly 2 million people. China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, said a team of 12 Chinese medical experts are closely working with the Department of Health and met extensively with public health officials and professionals. He said the medical team visited frontline medical agencies such as the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Lung Center of the Philippines and Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center. “In the past several days, the expert team has been racing against time to render all necessary assistance” he said, adding, they also shared experience and practice on Covid-19 prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, as well as personal protection with Filipino counterparts. China managed to control the spread of Covid-19 in Wuhan in Hubei province which is now
slowly rising up again from the devastation left by the virus. More than 3,000 people were dead from the virus and over 82,000 confirmed cases in China since it was first reported. Huang praised Chinese President Xi Jinping in addressing the pandemic. “Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in China, the Chinese people under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, have worked as one and made arduous efforts and tremendous sacrifice to fight against the virus. Today fundamental progress has been made in China’s pandemic prevention and control measures, with local transmission successfully stemmed,” he said. With plenty of firsthand feasible information and knowledge collected by Beijing during the pandemic, Huang said they are sharing all this now with Manila to help the Philippines combat the virus. Quoting China’s great ancient poet Li Bai, Huang said: “True friendship is revealed through adversity, and success becomes nothing when it is not shared” and “as a true friend, China feels keenly for the Philippine government and people amid the difficult times of combating the epidemic. That’s why the medical expert team has been soon dispatched to share all that we know about the pandemic with the Philippine side, with the purpose of improving its ability of pandemic prevention and control as well as diagnosis and treatment, so as to boost the confidence of the
public in overcoming the COVID-19. It is our sincere hope that the dawn of victory will come at an earlier date.” Facing the Covid-19 outbreak, Huang said “China and the Philippines have been supporting and helping each other, demonstrating our long-standing profound friendship as close neighbors, trusted friends and good brothers.” Huang even quoted a Filipino saying: “A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound” and further claimed that “people gain strength by standing together in the spirit of Bayanihan.” “We recall that at the most difficult moment in our fight, the Philippine government donated a batch of well-needed relief goods to China, and massive support were also shown by the Philippine people from all walks of life. China also stands in solidarity with the Philippines in light of the pandemic situation,” he said, recalling the Chinese Embassy in cooperation with the China Mammoth Foundation, donated 2,000 Covid-19 test kits to the Filipino government. It was on top of Beijing’s donation to the Duterte government of 100,000 test kits, 310,000 surgical masks, 40,000 medical N95 masks and 15,000 medical protective suits, including 5,000 medical face shields, and 30 non-invasive ventilators. Moreover, Huang said Fujian, Hainan, Shandong, Guangzhou, Nan-
Ambassador Huang Xilian ning and many other sister provinces and cities to the Philippines, as well as a number of enterprises and civil groups such as Jack Ma Foundation, Hong Kong Prudential Enterprise, Huawei, Bank of China also donated medical supplies to different local governments. “We will continue to provide our best support and assistance as the Phil-
ippine side’s needs arise. Benevolence and kindness are best known during trying times. As the Covid-19 wreaked havoc in many countries around the globe, China never stood by and left its friends in difficulty. Despite the unhealed wound inflicted by the epidemic and a rebound in indigenous cases, we have reached out to other countries affected
at the latter’s request,” he said. “Virus respects no borders nor distinguishes between races. People and countries around the world must work together if we want to prevail over the pandemic,” he added. President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly praised Xi for helping the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Cebu orders mass Covid-19 testing
C
EBU CITY – Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered a massive and targeted Covid-19, or novel coronavirus, testing to go full blast in Cebu City. He said the local He said those listed by the City on top of it, containment progovernment secured some Health Department as sus- tocols are being carried out in 34,000 swab kits which they pected and probable Covid-19 coordination with the DOH are now using for the conduct cases and persons who came (Department of Health) and of mass virus testing. “We are in close contact with one who the Philippine National Pothe leading local government has tested positive of the virus lice,” he said. unit in terms of mass testing will undergo the test. City police chief, Col. Joas we have the capacity and “As we speak, more swab sefino Ligan said they continthe means to do so,” he said. tests are being conducted. ue to implement the enhanced Labella said he expect This is combined with strin- community quarantine to an increase in the number gent contact tracing proce- ensure the deadly disease will of Covid-19 cases once the dures of those individuals not spread or contaminate the mass testing goes full blast. already found positive. And others. (John Rey Saavedra)
Free Wi-Fi terminals in all Covid-19 patient care centers THE Department of Information and Communications Technology, or DICT, said it will install free Wi-Fi terminals in all Covid-19 care centers to enable and help medical front-liners to quickly send their reports online. “Free internet connectivity will help health workers in their submission of situation reports online. It will also alleviate fear and distress among front-liners and patients by allowing them to keep in touch with their families and loved ones,” it said, adding, Wi-Fi terminals have been installed at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the Philippine International Convention Center and the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Outside Metro Manila, DICT said Wi-Fi terminals have also been installed at the Dagupan City Astrodome in Pangasinan, New Clark City – Athletes Village in Capas, Tarlac, City
Rest Drive Inn in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Sacred Health School for Boys in Cebu City, and the Ateneo de Zamboanga–Lantaka Campus in Zamboanga City. WiFi hotspots were also installed in more than 30 Covid-19 monitoring and control centers, as well as in five other testing centers in the country. Dubbed as the “Free WiFi for All” program, it was initially launched to provide Internet connection to remote and poor areas. The program installed a total of 3,707 free Wi-Fi terminals all over the country since its official launch in March this year. DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. said the Wi-Fi terminals use very small aperture terminal technology and will not rely on the mobile service availability of commercial telecommunications companies such as Globe Telecom or Smart Communications. He said the terminals were mandated by law to provide a minimum of 40 Megabits per second download and upload speeds,
protected from cyber-security attacks, and censored by the DICT. (Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)
Personnel of the Cebu City Health Department wearing full personal protective equipment say a prayer before proceeding to conduct massive and targeted Covid-19 testing in Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz on April 15, 2020. Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered the conduct of full blast targeted testing in the village after 21 persons were found positive of the virus in the area. (Photo from Mayor Edgardo Labella’s Facebook page)
Police vow to protect medical front-liners POLICE SAID it is beefing up its campaign against those who would cause injury or discriminate patients and health workers who are the leading front-liners in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). National Police deputy chief for operations, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, said the police force’s legal team has already conducted legal research on all possible charges that could be filed against any person that would attack or bully the medical front-liners, and even those infected by the virus and their families. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, through our (PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa), has instructed us to protect and assist our health workers on the frontlines amid the reports of attacks and harassments against them. Let this serve as a warning to
those heartless fools that we will not tolerate their misdeeds and we will make sure that they would pay if they dare to hurt or discriminate them,” Eleazar said. Eleazar, also Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield commander, said all forms of harassment and discrimination such as physical assault, hurling stones on the houses and attempts to destroy any property of medical front-liners and Covid-19 patients would be covered by the provisions of the Revised Penal Code. Two medical front-liners in Cebu and Cotabato were splashed with bleach after they were suspected to be carrying the virus. There were also reports that some residents bully the families of Covid-19 patients and even those classified as persons under investigation and monitoring.
Eleazar said those who would bully medical front-liners and Covid-19 patients online would be held liable the Anti-Cyber Crime Law. Owners of houses, condominiums or apartments who would try to evict medical front-liners could be held liable for grave coercion. “We urge our medical front-liners and the relatives of the Covid-19 patients to immediately report to us any form of attack, harassment, and discrimination against them and we will assure you that we will immediately act on your complaints. Your complaints will be our priority,” he said. He said the public can call or report those bullying or discriminating front-liners with these numbers from the JTF COVID Hotlines are 09988490013 for Smart users and 0917-
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5382495 for Globe users. He said the JTF CoViD Shield can also be reached through its email address: ncovmonitoring@gmail.com. Eleazar also appealed to local government to pass an ordinance that would impose separate punishment for those who would attack and discriminate health workers and Covid-19 patients and their families. He even cited the cities of Manila and Cebu which promulgated their respective ordinances condemning and prohibiting discrimination against health workers. He reminded the public that the electronic inquest of the Department of Justice is currently in place against those who would violate the law amid the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)