Went to the grocery since the little food we had gotten last time was all gone. Noticed immediately that the streets were completely empty. Got halfway to the gate and there were four police, two on each side the street, stopping anyone going towards the grocery.

This makes three checkpoints, now clearly aimed at restricting movement from the back of the village where the poorer of an already poor neighborhood live. The gate faces a gated community across the main road (foot bridge to it blocked off).

Stopped as commanded and showed my house pass with photo ID. Immediately scolded for not having a resident ID that I am not eligible to hold anyway. Shouted at from across the street "where you from?"

Reply in Tagalog so that all four police (mainly the SOB next to me) knows I can understand the shit they are saying. Not the brightest idea. Asked when I arrived and do I have my paperwork on me (well yes I do, mr not really supposed to be asking this officer).

Asked why I am "in our country" I clearly say that my wife and son are Filipino and I am here because the US won't yet let them go there. Then just get stared up and down. It is fucking hot outside, btw.

Asked where I have been overseas and what dates. Well guess what... only country overseas happens to be right the fuck here for me. So if I had caught this virus, guess who the fuck I would had got it from.

Finally allowed to keep walking another five minutes till I reach the next police checkpoint. This time with signs and barricades. Go through the list of questions: where do you live, where are you from, why are you here, how long, what are you doing outside...

Five minutes of standing in the sun as the officer takes my ID over to a tent and talks before giving it back. During which time three other people take advantage of the now unmanned gap in the blockade and slip past with no checks.

Walk less than 50 yards, in clear view of the last checkpoint and get interrogated by soldiers. This time they take my passport and run through it. Ask why I was in Hong Kong in October of 2018. Not happy when my answer is bc BI requires foreigners periodically leave and return.

Asked for more details about travel to Hong Kong. Note that no form of this virus had jumped species prior to late 2019. My trip to Hong Kong was a full year before that. But doesn't stop the assault rifle holding guy in front of me from demanding answers.

Go through similar questions as the other two checkpoints and then finally told I can go on my way.

A beer, a movie and maybe some lunch would be nice before having to get so intimate with the security forces just so I can get groceries.

Pick through the shelves with the other miserables of our village before going through the same rounds of questions from mostly the same groups of soldiers and police again. I have seen goldfish with longer memories.

Make it two blocks past the third checkpoint, a few feet from the alleyway I normally duck down and then hear "hey joe" as a motorcycle cop pulls alongside me.

He was not too happy hearing me exclaim very loudly "you have got to be fucking kidding me"

"Where you going, why are you outside, why don't you have this ID instead of that one"... wait a few more minutes and finally allowed to walk on.

The grocery was a five minute walk from my house before lockdown. It was also not 35 degrees outside then.

There are no mango pickers out today. The wet market is boarded up and nobody is walking down its narrow alleyway. Instead of sending food to this place, the boots of the law just keep pressing down on our throats. I might stand out bc of my skin but this shit is getting worse.

Btw, I was picking up my neighbor's food as well today. She has to decide if leaving kids home alone is ok while she risks the checkpoints. And being a woman on these streets alone is not advisable right now. She had been living off mightee mart picks this week.