BY WENDELL VIGILIA and VICTOR REYES
VICE President Leni Robredo yesterday hit President Duterte’s penchant for arrests, describing as “counterproductive” his order for the police to apprehend and detain those who are improperly wearing face masks amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Robredo made the statement as PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said he has directed police commanders to coordinate with local government units to prepare holding centers for violators.
Robredo recalled that Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has urged officials to require violators of COVID-19 health protocols to do community service instead of detaining them.
Conditions in usually cramped detention centers raise the chances of COVID-19 transmission.
Health experts been saying that observing minimum health standards like proper wearing masks and shields, and physical distancing are key to preventing transmission.
“Hindi ko alam bakit default natin iyong aresto… Hindi ko alam kung bakit iyong bukang-bibig natin aresto (I don’t know why our default mode is always arrest… I don’t now why we always talk about arrests),” Robredo said in her weekly program on RMN radio.
The President, in an address last week, was particularly irked at those who are wearing masks below their noses, which exposes themselves and other people to the virus.
The Vice President said the appropriate response is for the authorities to warn and patiently teach people how to protect themselves instead of always threatening to punish them.
“Hindi nakakatulong na ang default natin, aresto. Unang una, ang sitwasyon nga sa mga jail natin, grabe. Mag-aaresto ka kasi gusto mong i-protect iyong mga tao, pero lalong counterproductive iyon eh. Ako, kapag mayroong mali iyong pagsuot ng face mask, turuan (It won’t help that our default mode is arrest. Firstly, our jails are already full and you want to arrest more people, that’s counterproductive. If there are people who wear their masks the wrong way, teach them),” Robredo said.
Robredo said repeat violators can be penalized through fines “but don’t arrest even the smallest of infractions because we know that there are also those in the upper classes who violate it but are not being arrested.”
Eleazar, in a radio interview, said he issued the directive during the first command conference he presided as PNP chief last Saturday. Eleazar assumed the top PNP post last Friday, vice now retired Gen. Debold Sinas.
In the past, Eleazar said, policemen usually just caution violators.
Eleazar said the PNP will apprehend people who, despite repeated appeals in the past, continue to ignore the minimum health standards.
“Kung may makikita pa rin tayo matitigas ang ulo ay, tingin ko naman magkakaisa tayo, lahat na ito mga ito ngayon bigyan natin ng leksyon. (If we still see stubborn people, I think everyone will agree, we should give them a lesson),” he said.
Eleazar said people caught violating the health protocols will be brought to the holding centers where they will be subjected to processing by the police.
The violators will then be processed, depending on rules of the local government, he said.
Eleazar expressed frustration that many continue to violate health rules when these have been in place for over a year now. “We are appealing to the sense maturity of our people (to follow the protocols),” he said.
Asked if the violators will be detained, Eleazar said: “Depende yan sa peculiarity ng ating mga police stations. Kung yung ating police stations ay walang nakakulong dun, pwede sila dun. (That depends on the peculiarity of our police stations. If our police stations have no detainees, they can held there),” he said.
In reality, Eleazar said police stations are filled with detainees. Thus, he said, the PNP and LGUs need to find holding centers where the violators of the health protocols will be brought.
Eleazar said it policemen have no business imposing punishments, including physical exercises like push-ups. He said policemen should just implement penalties set by local ordinances.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said local chief executives (LCEs) found not prohibiting mass gatherings may face administrative and criminal charges.
“Local government units have a critical role in enforcing mass gathering regulations as they are nearer to their constituencies compared to the national government. What LCEs can do is to adopt and implement guidelines and policies of the Inter-Agency Task Force as well as enact necessary local policies to support these regulations,” said Año.
