The city government will not shoulder the medical expenses of Davaoeños who acquired COVID-19 while violating the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
On Tuesday’s interview with Davao City Disaster Radio, Mayor Sara Duterte said that if contact tracing will determine that the patient violated the lockdown protocols, they will pay for their hospitalization costs.
“I have thought to make an order that those who will be infected of COVID-19 and then if it will be found out on your history based on the contact tracing that you were infected by violating the enhanced community quarantine, the government will not pay for your hospital bill,” Duterte said.
The mayor already told the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) that the city government will not shoulder the medical expenses of the quarantine violators..
“If you are infected with COVID-19 because you violated the Enhanced Community Quarantine, the city government will not pay for your hospital bills,” she said.
The mayor could not think of any reason why private vehicles should be on the road during the ECQ since only essential establishments remain open.
“Most of the supermarket workers do not use these kinds of vehicles,” she said.
Duterte said violators can use their Philhealth instead, but no assistance will be extended to them if they exceed the coverage amount.
“They can afford the gasoline of these vehicles, so they should prepare for the payment of their hospital bills once they acquire COVID-19,” she added.
She then directed the Task Force Davao to park an armored personnel carrier in the middle of the road to prevent vehicles from passing through while the curfew is in effect.
“We will not stop seeing positive (cases) if this kind of behavior continues, the more you go out only to buy one kilo of rice every day using your (private) vehicles. . . Do not charge your recklessness to the government,” Duterte said.
In a separate interview, Col. Consolito Yecla, the Task Force Davao commander, said they will abide by the order of the mayor. One tank will be stationed at the Sirawan (Toril) checkpoint and one will be in the urban center.
He said the APC will be assigned in several spots in the downtown area, “in Felcris, Ma-a road, or where there are plenty of people milling around.”
“We will also deploy additional personnel, ” he further said. (With Warren Elijah P. Valdez)
