DAVAO CITY – Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) intercepted Monday night two trucks transporting cigarettes while using a food pass at the border checkpoint of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato provinces.
Major Peter Glenn Ipong, Bansalan Police Chief said five people were arrested for transporting misdeclared items from Davao City to North Cotabato.
Authorities arrested are Jaime Akmad Kusain, Musaidin Ali, Badrudin Uyag Guket, Mama Ayob Uka, and Kamarudin Kanday Pendaliday. They are all residents of Maguindanao province.
Ipong said two trucks were flagged down after passengers of the two trucks were not wearing seatbelts. Further check with the transported items showed that instead of food products as indicated in the pass, boxes of cigarettes were found.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said Covid-19 patients found to have acquired the disease for not following the stay at home orders will have to pay their own hospital bills.
Duterte said she already informed the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) that the city will not shoulder the medical expenses of Covid-19 patients found to have infected for violating Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) protocols.
It has been observed that despite the ECQ and the curfew in effect many private vehicles are still roaming around the city.
“Kung natakdan ka og Covid-19 tungod nag-violate ka sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, dili mobayad ang city government sa imong pagpahospital,” she said.
“Most of the supermarket workers do not use these kinds of vehicles,” she said.
“They can afford the gasoline of these vehicles so they should prepare for the payment of their hospital bills once they acquire Covid-19 from violating the protocols of the ECQ,” the mayor stated.
