LOCKDOWN DUE TO TAAL THREAT

Agoncillo, Batangas residents still hoping to be allowed entry to town

Residents of Agoncillo town in Batangas trooped back to the entrance to their town on Sunday morning hoping to be allowed back in.

This is despite the Mayor Daniel Reyes' announcement he would no longer give residents a window hour to retrieve their belongings or feed their livestock, according to a report on Dobol B sa News TV by Allan Gatus.

Agoncillo is one of the towns placed on lockdown due to the dangers posed by Taal Volcano's activity.

The volcano had a phreatic eruption on Sunday which was followed by lava fountaining and infrequent weak explosions throughout the week.

Agoncillo, being right by the shores of Taal Lake, was heavily affected by ashfall from Taal Volcano's plumes, turning the place into a ghost town. 

Fissures were also seen on its roads, one of which could be seen leading to Taal Lake.

Alert Level 4 remained in effect over the volcano on Sunday, with a hazardous explosive eruption possible within hours to days, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Many barangays in Agoncillo have been identified as susceptible to base surges, volcanic tsunamis, and ballistic projectiles that may occur if Taal Volcano has a magmatic eruption.

Residents were briefly allowed to enter Agoncillo on Friday and Saturday to get their belongings and feed their livestock.

Police established a checkpoint at the town's entrance to ensure the lockdown is followed.

Residents however said there are other ways to get inside the town despite the lockdown, such as through a neighboring town and through a sugarcane field. 

No incident of robbery has been reported since the lockdown.

On Sunday, residents became restless when authorities did not allow them to enter the town.

One of them said he was going to feed more than 100 pigs, goats and chickens who have not eaten anything in a week.

Another resident got angry and said that instead of helping them recover, the local government is putting them down since they were not even allowed to get their livestock.

Still another resident spoke and said they will leave the town once it really gets dangerous, but now that it is still calm, they are hoping they would be allowed in even for just a few minutes.

Police Captain Danilo Manalo, chief of Agoncillo Police, said Agoncillo is a danger zone, thus the lockdown.

He added that residents were already allowed inside in the past two days to get their belongings.

On Sunday morning, a convoy with a funeral hearse tried to enter the town to bury the dead.

However, only two vehicles—the hearse and the family vehicle—were allowed inside by police.

Soldiers and police officers practiced on Sunday their evacuation plan should there be an emergency while at their posts.

They have been strictly patrolling the entrance to Agoncillo but some residents still manage to enter the town using other entry points. —With a report from Jonathan Andal/KG, GMA News