Over 300 cops, soldiers to assist in implementing Navotas lockdown — Eleazar

A total of 348 security forces would be deployed in Navotas City to assist in the implementation of lockdown in the area due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar on Tuesday said the more than 300 security forces include cops, Special Action Force commandos and soldiers.

Eleazar said he had already discussed with Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco the measures and other strategies that would be enforced in the city beginning July 16.

"Our task is to contain the unnecessary movement of people and keep all residents at home except for the medical frontliners and other people who are authorized to go out. The other task is to ensure that APOR (Authorized Persons Outside Residence) shall follow the health protocols,” Eleazar said.

He said a total of 100 policemen will come from the Northern Police District District Mobile Forces Battalion, another 100 personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Regional Mobile Forces Battalion, 81 from the Special Action Force (SAF), 42 from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group, and 25 soldiers from the AFP Joint Task Force-NCR.

Most of the policemen will be deployed to set up checkpoints and conduct regular patrol to ensure that there will be no unnecessary movement of local residents, Eleazar said.

He added that personnel from the PNP Maritime Group would be deployed to regularly patrol the coastline of Navotas.

Tiangco decided to place Navotas City under 14-day lockdown to prevent residents from leaving their homes for non-essential reasons. This will begin on July 16 until July 29.

So far, the city has 981 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 341 recoveries and 64 fatalities. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News