MANILA – Philippine police drew criticism from netizens and activists over the weekend for a plan to monitor social media to enforce quarantine rules, with critics accusing the authorities of authoritarianism and double standards.
Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, head of a task force enforcing quarantine protocols, warned of fines and penalties of community service for people violating precautionary measures, while violators of liquor bans will face “additional charges.”
“Social media is full of photos and evidence of hardheaded people deliberately violating the quarantine protocols. These can be used as pieces of evidence to warn, to fine and to summon the people concerned in coordination with the barangay officials concerned,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar also said that those caught having joined drinking sessions could face additional charges especially if their respective communities are implementing a liquor ban.
Data from the JTF COVID Shield showed that more than 365,000 were warned, fined and charged for violations of quarantine rules since March 17.
The plan to monitor social media, announced on Saturday, seems to show the police agency “wants to use the pandemic to turn us into a police state, where every action is being watched by the authorities,” Renato Reyes, secretary general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation) said on Twitter.
Critics said the plan shows a double standard after a police chief was allowed to keep his post despite flouting a ban on social gatherings in May.
Photographs on the police force’s Facebook page showed Debold Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region police, celebrating his birthday along with dozens of people without masks sitting close together, with beer cans on their tables despite an alcohol ban. Sinas apologised.
Eleazar said criminal and administrative cases have been filed against Sinas for the incident.
Based from the latest data of the Department of Health, the Philippines has 234,570 coronavirus cases, the highest in Southeast Asia, with 3,790 deaths. (With Reuters/PN)
