REACTING sharply to the policy of Umingan government banning San Quintin residents  since May 8 from entering its public market, San Quintin Mayor Clark Cecil Tiu wrote a strongly worded letter to the DILG provincial office on May 7 protesting the discriminatory policy, specifically aimed at his town’s residents.

Mayor Tiu wrote DILG Provincial Director Paulino Lalata Jr. to vehemently protest the discrimination against the people of San Quintin by prohibiting them from entering the Umingan public market.

Tiu took exception to the memorandum (No. MC2021-121) of Mayor Michael Carleone Cruz of Umingan dated May 7, 2021 addressed to his market supervisor, Gil Tadeo, ordering the submission of ID by all persons before entering the town’s public market for the purpose of banning entry of residents, particularly, vendors, from his town.

In his memorandum, a copy of which was circulated on social media, Cruz cited the reported surge in COVID-19 cases in San Quintin as his reason for ordering the ban of all persons from San Quintin from entering the Umingan public market.

As of May 7, San Quintin recorded 49 active COVID-19 cases and was ranked second to San Carlos City in the most number of cases so far registered that day.

In his letter to DILG Provincial Director Lalata, Mayor Tiu branded the memorandum of the municipal mayor of adjacent Umingan not only discriminatory and violative of the equal protection clause guaranteed by the constitution but without the approval of the higher Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Mayor Tiu asked DILG: Can LGU impose restrictions on travel/mobility for any individuals/citizens by mere memorandum and without RIATF approval; impose an order barring entry of all residents of one particular LGU only; bar the entry of non-resident
even when the issuing LGU is not on a “lockdown”, as approved by the RIATF?

Tiu further asked if an LGU that is not on a “lockdown” motu propio bar the entry of merchants, traders, and vendors of one particular LGU only without violating laws, policies or principles like “restraint trade” or “economic sabotage” or IATF guidelines; and to clarify  whether it is only the  provincial government that is vested with authority to impose restrictions on mobility of individual/or residents involving. several towns within its territorial jurisdictions.

Tiu said the positive response from the DILG to his letter will guide his town as it tries  to fight and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in his town. (Leonardo Micua)

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