NINETY-FOUR locally stranded individuals (LSIs) were intercepted by the Task Force Davao and PNP personnel while trying to sneak into the city without the mandatory swab tests at the Davao airport.
Col. Consolito Yecla, commander of the Task Force Davao, said that at around 7 a.m. on July 26, nine LSIs from Makati City and Metro Manila were intercepted at Barangay Alejandra Navarro (Lasang) checkpoint on board a Toyota Hi-Ace van.
They were supposedly on their way to the Barangay Poblacion in Sarangani Province.
At 7:45 a.m. on the same day, they were escorted by the City Transport and Traffic Management Office personnel toward the checkpoint at Barangay Sirawan, Toril District.
According to Yecla, 78 of the total LSIs they intercepted traveled by land from Luzon while the other 16 landed at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, about 300 kilometers from Davao City.
He said 47 were escorted toward the available testing center while 47 were escorted to the exit points of Davao City.
The Davao residents were subjected to swab testing and brought to the holding area while they wait for the results.
“If positive, they will be assessed by the Southern Philippines Medical Center to determine the next step, either they will be confined in the SPMC or brought to the isolation center,” Yecla said.
“Now, if the result is negative, they will be sent off but advised to undergo home quarantine for 14 days,” he added.
Those who will be intercepted beyond 5 p.m. will have to wait at the holding area for their swab test the next day. The earliest the center will open is at 8 a.m.
Meanwhile, The TF Davao commander advised the Davaoeños against attempting to bypass the Francisco Bangoy International Airport because they would only experience more difficulties at the checkpoint.
“As Davaoeños, we should be responsible enough for the safety of everyone to ensure that we have undergone a swab test before returning to Davao City to protect our relatives and neighbors in the city,” he said.
“We can really intercept them and we can easily detect where they come from or if they lie to us at the checkpoint,” he said.
Mayor Sara Duterte earlier announced that presenting the negative result 24-72 from the swab test is no longer necessary to board the airplane bound for Davao City.
But all passengers would be subjected to swabbing before they can exit the airport. The results will be released from seven hours up to 24 hours, depending on the number of individuals swabbed. Meanwhile, they have to stay at the holding facility while awaiting results.
The local government will foot the bill of the RT-PCR test, which costs from P5,000 to P6,500 each, for all passengers, including non-Davao City residents.
