Biñan withholds cash aid from health protocol violators

Violators of health protocols in Biñan City in Laguna will not be receiving cash assistance from the city government amid the already economically damaging pandemic.

According to Chino Gaston's "24 Oras" report, the city has not only recorded increasing cases of COVID-19 but also violators of face mask policy and other health protocols.

Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila said they imposed the rule because they could not issue fines that residents could no longer pay.

"Hindi pwede pagmultahan ng P5,000 dahil taghirap. So ang ginawa namin is iyong talagang matigas ang ulo, talagang gumawa kaming listahan naka-record iyon so pagdating ng ayuda nila, wala kayo," said Dimaguila.

(We can't just impose fines because no one can pay due to the economic consequences of the pandemic. So what we did was for those who will still violate, we made a list and these people won't receive their aid.)

This policy immediately made several residents worry, especially those who lost their jobs amid pandemic.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the financial aid must not be withheld, stressing that the cash aid should be distributed to constituents during the strictest lockdown.

"Mahirap 'yun kung sasabihin: 'o hindi na namin i-re-release yung pondo mo,' Kasi 'yan ay ayuda ng mga tao dahil ECQ," DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya said.

(You can't do that because  funds are allocated for financial aid of people during ECQ.)

To date, active cases in Biñan City soared to 396 while at least 300 people are ECQ violators.

Laguna province is under ECQ until August 20 to allow the local government units to arrest the worsening spread of COVID-19. — Consuelo Marquez/BM, GMA News