(Eagle News) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued show-cause orders against eight Cebu City barangay chiefs.
Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the barangay chairs, whom he did not name, were given 48 hours to explain their alleged failure to implement community quarantine protocols.
“Mayroon pong mga kapitan na tinolerate nila ‘yung pa-basketball, violation ng curfew. Mayroon pong mga illegal na cockfighting na nangyari,” Malaya said.
He said if the allegations were proven true, the DILG would file charges against the eight before the Ombudsman.
Cebu City is the only city in the country that remains under an enhanced community quarantine, the strictest form of community quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Rodrigo Duterte had lamented what he said was the Cebuanos’ slow response to the public health emergency, and sent Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to oversee the COVID-19 response there.
Earlier, the DILG announced the filing of charges against Olongapo Mayor Rolen Paulino, Jr. for reportedly issuing local policies that violated enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) protocols that were enforced by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The DILG has also filed charges against several barangay and local government officials for alleged irregularities in the distribution of cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program.
