DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) – Dabawenyos using the Safe Davao QR (DQR) for “non-essential movement” may be jailed for one month after the local council passed on third and final reading Monday an ordinance requiring the mandatory implementation of the system for all establishments and individuals.
Authored by Davao City’s 1st District Councilor J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr., the ordinance penalizes individuals who take advantage of the DQR for “non-essential” purposes, use cancelled DQR codes, or refuse to present valid codes for scanning or inspection when so required by persons of authority.
Under the ordinance, first time-offenders of these provisions will be penalized with a reprimand; a fine of P500 or community service, or both, for second-time offenders; and a fine of P1,500 or month imprisonment, or both, for the third-time offenders, according to the ordinance.
The ordinance likewise prescribes the penalty of P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense, and P1,500 or one-month imprisonment, or both, for third offense, for the following prohibited acts: lending one’s DQR to another, use and possession of a fake DQR, use of a fake ID, birth certificate, and business registration number, or another individual’s ID or birth certificate or another’s business registration number to register for a DQR, making or selling fake identifies for DQR registration, and hacking of the DQR system and or identity theft.
It added that any person guilty of tampering or hacking the online link will be prosecuted for cybercrimes under Republic Act of 2021 and any violations involving R.A. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.
The Task Force Davao, Davao City Police Office, City Health Office, and barangay officials have been directed to strictly enforce the ordinance.
The DQR system, an electronic contact tracing and travel pass platform intended to implement contactless gathering and electronic storage data must be used by all individuals, whether they are residents or non-residents, who need to enter the city for essential or work/business purposes. Establishments, covering government and private offices, event venues, hospitals, hotels, malls, stores, groceries, mini-marts, restaurants, carinderia, palengke, places of worship, educational institutions and all other organizations, including their sub-offices or branches, are also required to implement the system.
Section 4 provides that the permanent DQR codes must be used to enter and move within the city, adding that individuals must bring them if they go outside of their residence gates or beyond three meters from their houses for structures without gates.
It added that the DQR system must be used as a pass to enter and travel inside the city for accessing goods and services or for work/business only; as a pass in law enforcement checkpoints and barangay patrols implementing the prohibition on non-essential travel; as a contact tracing record for entry and exit in all public or private offices and establishments; and as a pass for random scanning.
It said that airplane travelers landing in the city must register QR code for heath declaration at the Davao International Airport aside from their personal DQR codes.
As of December 7, Department of Health-Davao reported a total of 10,027 cases in the region, with 2,645 active, 6,992 recoveries, and 390 deaths.
Of the total cases, Davao City reported 7,108, Davao de Oro with 472, Davao del Norte with 1,106, Davao del Sur with 749, Davao Occidental with 122, and Davao Oriental with 470. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
