Arrests mark first week after Duterte's order on face mask use
MANILA, Philippines — Much like the implementation of the uniform Metro Manila curfew, the arrest count took just days to breach the 1,000-mark in the first week after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a crackdown on face mask violators.
At the meeting of the government's pandemic task force last Monday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año disclosed that 18,862 persons were recorded to have violated safety protocols from May 6 to 10, the week after Duterte ordered the police to arrest people who do not wear face masks properly. Of which, 904 persons were arrested while 9,379 others were given warnings.
Data from the Quezon City Police District showed that a total of 825 violators were arrested for violating city ordinances on proper face masks and face shields wearing between Thursday, May 6 and Tuesday.
Around 7,600 others were warned, while 7,886 were fined, the city information office disclosed. According to the QCPD, minors or anyone caught removing their mask temporarily will be warned. Habitual offenders are ticketed, while anyone who resists is arrested.
"In some cases on the ground, warnings are issued to those who sometimes wear a face mask wrongly like on the chin, or who beg not to get a ticket. The fines are given to those who refuse to wear masks. Those arrested really resisted, or were caught for other violations of other ordinances then saw no face mask or face shield like smoking in a non-authorized place, or gambling," the city information office said.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte in a statement sent to reporters expressed her concern over what she said was "the large number of health protocol violators who were warned or fined from among the vulnerable sectors."
She said that as the guidelines for arrest with detention are being finalized by the PNP, Quezon City will be intensifying its campaign to warn or fine those who are seen not wearing face masks or those wearing them improperly.
"We will exercise maximum tolerance and enforce our local ordinances in the meantime. As much as possible we want to avoid detaining them because we lack space in our detention facilities and the virus could easily spread in enclosed spaces," Belmonte said.
“Only those who resist, defy or assault enforcers will be detained,” she added.
READ: QCPD set to apprehend violators caught without face masks
No arrests in other cities
In Muntinlupa City, 356 citizens have been warned or fined since Monday, the city information office said.
No arrests have been made yet, though the city government has vowed to tightly enforce existing ordinances.
Penalties for offenders include P300 for first offense, P500 for second offense, and P1,000 for third and subsequent offenses.
For violators who are minors, a stern warning will be given for the first offense, withdrawal of scholarship grant from the local government or P300 for non-grantee for second offense, and P500 for third and subsequent offenses. The penalty fee for minors will be charged against their parents or guardians.
Public Information Officer Tez Navarro told reporters that while the local government awaits guidelines from the national government with regard to the pronouncement of Duterte, local security forces will use the existing provisions of the local ordinance to apprehend violators.
"We don't arrest," she also said in a text message.
In San Juan, exactly 565 quarantine violators have been either fined or warned since April 12.
The city has not made any arrests of face mask violators so far, though San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora has expressed support for the president's directive, calling it "just right."
In Pasay City, at least 354 have been arrested and fined since Thursday, May 6.
Police Col. Cesar Paday-os, Pasay police chief, said cases were filed against all the suspects based on the city's ordinances.
Per City Ordinance No. 6129, fines range from P1,000 to P5,000. Second and third offenses can also merit imprisonment.
This comes after Duterte in a televised address to the public on Wednesday night ordered cops to arrest face mask violators.
“My orders to the police are those who are not wearing their masks properly in order to protect the public—because if not, if you cannot defend the public—to arrest them and detain them, investigate why they are doing it. They have nine hours,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
—
Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.
- Latest
- Trending
