Woman barred at COVID-19 checkpoint cries, ‘What kind of gov't is this?’

A woman on her way to the airport to catch her flight to Canada cried in frustration after she and her companions were held at the border of Valenzuela City and Meycauayan, Bulacan amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.

"So if we miss this flight, what are we gonna do? It's too much! Why is it like this? I think it's not fair!" the woman said in Jonathan Andal's report on Balitanghali.

The woman and her husband were later allowed by authorities to pass the McArthur Highway checkpoint after showing their itinerary. However, they were worried that their relative who would take them to the airport would not be able to return to Bulacan due to the lockdown.

"Is this fair? Oh Lord! What kind of government is this?" the woman said.

"Parang nasa martial law tayo," said her husband.

Authorities barricaded the Valenzuela and Meycauayan border at around midnight on Tuesday and only cargo vehicles and essential goods were allowed to pass.

Angry commuters going home to Bulacan from different parts of Metro Manila were also stuck at the checkpoint. Social distancing was no longer observed due to the big volume of people in the area.

"Pang-gabi 'yung trabaho ko eh, sana hinintay muna nilang makauwi 'yung mga tao, Paranaque pa ako nagtatrabaho, 11 ang out ko. Kung magla-lockdown ng alas dose hindi naman kakayanin ng isang oras 'yung biyahe," said a male commuter.

"Kung kaninang tanghali pa po sinabi, [maiintindihan namin]. Ngayon lang gabi sinabi 'yon eh," an employee said.

"Katulad ko, S.A. po ako, sa airport pa po ako. Bawal kaming maghawak ng phone. So hindi po namin ma-monitor kung anong nangyayari. So may nagsabi na lang na lockdown na," said a female employee.

"Gusto na naming makauwi, pagod na kami sa biyahe eh," said another woman.

Police Colonel Fernando Ortega, chief of Valenzuela PNP, soon arrived at the McArthur Highway boundary.

"It's up to the Bulacan kung papaano nila papasukin 'yan pero wala na," Ortega said.

But according to Bulacan police, it was not them but Valenzuela City that implemented the lockdown.

Those held off at the border were finally allowed to enter Bulacan at around 1:30 a.m. Their identification cards were no longer inspected but their body temperatures were taken individually by authorities.

"It could be misunderstanding. I can't answer for Bulacan, I can only answer for the Valenzuela side. Really, I think there is total lockdown," said Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian who went to the area after learning about the situation.—AOL/NB, GMA News