Gov’t allows movement of lawyers providing assistance to arrested persons during ECQ

The government’s COVID-19 task force has allowed the movement of lawyers who will provide legal assistance to persons arrested during the enhanced community quarantine.

Covered by the new policy are lawyers who will provide legal representation necessary to protect the rights of persons under custodial investigation, to bail and to counsel during inquest proceedings, according to the resolution approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday. 

Cebu City will be under ECQ from June 16 to 30 while its neighboring city of Talisay will be under modified ECQ during the same period. 

The IATF also ordered the creation of a complaints office under the Philippine Ports Authority that will accept and address all complaints against international shipping lines and prescribed a minimum eight-day free time period for every shipping line. 

All domestic shipping lines were also strongly encouraged to allocate a percentage of cargo space every voyage exclusively to agriculture and food products and to charge preferential rates. —KG, GMA News