The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday assured that quarantine violators will be treated ''humanely'' during the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.

In a Palace briefing, Lt. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, Joint Task Force Commander and deputy chief for operations, said first time quarantine violators will only be reprimanded.

"Based on the instruction of our chief PNP (Gen. Guillermo Eleazar), we will treat them (violators) humanely," Dickson said.

"If they will still violate, we will bring them to dedicated areas that have safe spaces where they will not infect others and they will not get infected so that we can investigate them," he added.

Metro Manila will be placed under ECQ from August 6 to 20 after being under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened and additional restrictions.

Dickson said the PNP has established 75 checkpoints and deployed 1, 119 police personnel in the boundary of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna.

He reminded the public only authorized persons outside of their residence (APORs) will be allowed to pass checkpoints and quarantine control points. DMS