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Influenced by Duterte? Quezon City official threatens to have MECQ violators ‘shot and killed’

The civilian force is focused on enforcing and maintaining quarantine rules within neighborhoods but has been accused of abuse at least once in the past.

Quezon City Task Force Disiplina head Rannie Ludovica went on Facebook and said that violators of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) would be shot to death.

Mula bukas, shoot to kill na ang lalabag sa MECQ,” said Ludovica.

Ludovica, a former Quezon City councilor, posted the announcement at around 3 pm on Monday, August 3, and took it down before 6 pm. MECQ in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces began on August 4 and will end as early as August 18.

The former councilor leads the Task Force Disiplina of Quezon City, a group that is supposed to be force multipliers of both social workers and police personnel.

The civilian force is focused on enforcing and maintaining quarantine rules within neighborhoods but has been accused of abuse at least once in the past.

This is the same group that beat up fish vendor Michael Rubuia for not wearing a face mask.

Ludovica clarified on August 4 that his comment was merely “personal”, in spite of using his account for official announcements, calls for cooperation from the public, and updates on his engagement as an official of Quezon City.

He added that there is no policy that prohibits the shooting of lockdown violators and that his comment was just a result of his frustration in the surging cases.

“The number of COVID-19 positive cases continue to rise in the city and the whole country because of the absence of discipline for most of our people and their violation of the law,” he said in his statement.

The shoot to kill policy stemmed from President Rodrigo Duterte when he said, “My orders to the police and military … if there is trouble or the situation arises where your life is on the line, shoot them dead,

“Understand? Dead. I’ll send you to the grave. … Don’t test the government.” he said during an impromptu national address last April 1.

Many saw his threat as the cause of the death of Winston Ragos, a veteran who was shot and killed by an officer for reaching into his bag in the middle of a heated argument.

Police Master Sergeant Daniel Florendo, Jr. and four other police trainees from the Highway Patrol Group got into an argument with Ragos near the checkpoint at Maligaya Drive in Brgy. Pasong Putik, Quezon City.

Ragos had an aggressive approach which prompted Florendo to point his gun at the veteran as he gave instructions on what not to do.

Florendo asked Ragos to go home because he was violating lockdown rules. Florendo eventually shot and killed Ragos after the veteran reached into his bag. But Ragos never had a weapon and was instead trying to pull out his quarantine pass.

Written by Charles Teves

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