Mayor Tiangco to place entire Navotas under lockdown

Navotas City will be placed under lockdown to prevent residents from leaving their homes for non-essential reasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Toby Tiangco announced on Monday.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Tiangco said the 14-day lockdown will not affect business establishments and residents who have to go to work.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco confirms Navotas will have a citywide lockdown for residents, says they are just waiting for police augmentation. Those going to work will still be allowed but any citizen who does not have any business to be staying outside will have to stay indoors.

— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) July 13, 2020

"Kailangan namin gawin 'to, wala kaming choice kasi ang tigas ng ulo ng tao eh," he said, citing incidents of children being allowed to play outside their homes by their parents despite the enforcement of general community quarantine in Metro Manila.

Tiangco made the confirmation amid the draft executive order on the city-wide lockdown being circulated on social media.

"Hindi naman totally fake 'yan [pero] hindi siya valid in the sense na hindi ko pa napipirmahan. Pero talagang magla-lockdown po kami for 14 days," he said of the draft EO.

"Buong Navotas po, but 'yung lockdown is for residents. Businesses will be allowed to operate, 'yung mga may trabaho papayagang pumasok. Ang iistriktuhan lang po namin, ang 'di namin papayagan ay leisure activities, exercises, ganyan."

Tiangco said he is just waiting for the police augmentation force that he requested from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to start the implementation of the lockdown. 

He also side fine for parents who allow their children to play outside their homes was increased from P300 to P1,000.

"Hindi namin interest na kumolekta ng pera, gusto lang namin disiplinahin niyo 'yang anak niyo," Tiangco said. —KBK, GMA News