No travel pass, no entry

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

QUITE a number of Pangasinan residents caught staying out of the province during the Enhanced Community Quarantine suddenly found themselves stranded at the province’s borders when they attempted to return home since the General Community Quarantine was declared.

Why? They did not bother to secure a travel pass from the police station of their point of origin.

Worse, being stranded, they were made to wait for 14 days before they could enter, and again placed under another 14-day home quarantine once a travel pass is issued by either PNP Pangasinan or PNP of point of origin.

Blame the poor communication of the national government, but all that is in the past.

Residents should make an extra effort today to make their relatives and friends possibly still quarantined in other areas, know that unless they get a travel authority from the police station from their points of origin, because they still cannot enter Pangasinan without it even under Modified GCQ!

NOTE: The provincial government and Pangasinan PNP have decided to continue keeping a close watch of the persons entering the province’s borders, meaning: “No travel pass, No entry.”

Here’s the message you can copy and text: “Get a travel authority before planning to return to Pangasinan.”

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BARANGAYS, FRONTLINE PROTECTORS OF DRUGS. First the good news from the frontline in the drug war in Pangasinan.  As PDEA and the Pangasinan PNP have reported in our issue this week, a number of successful drug buy-bust operations led to the arrest of notorious drug dealers operating in the province.

Now, the bad news. That a number of members of drug syndicates were traced and arrested, particularly in Dagupan City, can only point to one thing – barangay officials in cahoots with some policemen continue to protect the drug operations.

It is no secret that all drug syndicates negotiate first with barangay officials before they can start operations.  It’d be foolhardy to operate without protection since nothing in a barangay escapes the kapitan’s knowledge, not even the latest spat between married couples one late evening.

And would the mayor and police chief know about a barangay kapitan’s transaction with the drug syndicates? Of course!

And if the mayor and police chief know about the drug protection arrangement, wouldn’t you wonder if DILG knows about it? The mayor simply would tell the DILG director in the town or province – “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

Knowing this, are our families helpless and vulnerable to the drug syndicates’ operations in the barangays?  No, not if they allow it.  Families have access to President Duterte’s office. Just text or call 8888 and report drug pushing activities in your areas. I won’t mind getting a copy of the text for follow up. Send an email to punch.sunday@gmail.com. I’ll make sure your alert gets a listening ear in PDEA.

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TOLL FEE? What is it about the ironclad policy in Dagupan City controlling who can and cannot operate PUJ, PUB, taxi or tricycle in the city regardless of special permits issued by the LTFRB ? On whose discretion?

If the Dagupan City government is keen on reviving the local economy fast, it should know that movement of people, the consumers, are essential. Or is it about a new ‘tong’ quota imposed on POSO members? Or a protection racket?

The restriction cannot be about protecting residents from COVID-19 contagion, because that’s the city health office’s jurisdiction. It also can’t be about a campaign vs. robbers and thieves, that’s the PNP’s affair. It can’t also be about enforcement of curfew hour, nobody drives around past curfew and besides that’s the barangay tanod and PNP’s business.

Aaah… could it be the “toll fee” to enter Dagupan City to be deposited in the “trust fund” of ‘special people’ created by the new ordinance on number coding in the city?

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DEPLORABLE SANITATION STANDARD.  Still in Dagupan City, the Lim administration should be embarrassed no end by GMA7’s ‘24 Oras’ TV report exposing the shocking and deplorable conditions at the designated quarantine facility in Bonuan Boquig.

One wonders what the sanitary and hygiene standard of the Lim administration is, to think that the city’s returning OFWs and persons that arrived from other provinces deserve nothing more than what the facility has to offer?

Is it possible that all public comfort rooms in the city are no better?

Surely the city government has the funds to rehabilitate, clean and sanitize the comfort rooms at the quarantine facility.  As a consolation, The PUNCH will be more than happy to publish a blessing photo op of Mayor Brian with Archbishop Villegas for the rehabilitated comfort rooms as the city’s ‘shared responsibility’.

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