FALSE: Lockdown in Metro Manila on December 19, 2020

At a glance:

• Claim: Metro Manila will be placed on lockdown or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) on Saturday, December 19.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: As of December 19, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana say Metro Manila is not under MECQ.
• Why we fact checked this: The unconfirmed claim circulated privately on messaging apps like Viber, causing confusion among the public.

Complete details:

A claim that circulated privately on messaging apps like Viber say that Metro Manila will be placed on lockdown or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting Saturday, December 19.

This claim features a supposed “advanced copy” of a “confidential” memorandum with a letterhead of the “Philippine National Police – National Capital Region Police Office – Regional Intelligence Division” which says, “As of December 19, 2020, Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine will be properly implemented in Metro Manila.”

This claim is false.

When asked about the claim, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a message to reporters on Saturday, said: “No. Fake news.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also warned in a separate statement that the supposed shift to MECQ is “a rumor” and “not true.”

“As the President had earlier announced, Metro Manila shall remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until the end of the year. Neither the IATF nor the mayors of Metro Manila recommended any shift in the quarantine status in this period,” Lorenzana said.

He added that the current COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila “is stable and manageable and does not warrant a shift back to MECQ.” Lorenzana also urged the public to continue observing health protocols.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a threat to our public health and safety. Let us not be complacent,” he said. – Rappler.com

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