Antipolo Mayor Ynares wants city kept in ECQ, but won’t appeal shift to GCQ

Antipolo City Mayor Andrea Ynares would have kept the city under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) if it were up to her, but she said she will not appeal the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to ease restrictions to a general community quarantine (GCQ).

The province of Rizal is among the areas that will go into a GCQ from May 16.

In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Ynares said she would have rather had Antipolo City remain under ECQ in fear of a second wave of coronavirus infections once lockdown measures are eased.

"Kung ako po 'yung tatanungin, I am happy that we have a good thing here in Antipolo and in Rizal na we were able to contain kahit papaano 'yung pandemic, but from ECQ to GCQ, sana maging ECQ na lang muna," she said.

"Parang mas gusto ko 'yung ECQ pa rin kami... Ayaw ko pa kasi magkaroon ng second wave, so that's what we are trying to avoid," added Ynares.

"Wala pa naman pong [need] for us to appeal na maging ECQ kami ulit," she said, noting that the local government will continue to enforce strict security measures.

"Ang appeal ko lang po, ang nire-request ko lang po, since ang Antipolo City is one of the most populous cities in the whole Philippines, 'yung Social Amelioration Program kahit na GCQ na kami, sana mabigyan pa rin ang City of Antipolo para sa aming kababayan," she elaborated. — BM, GMA News