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MANILA – The Human Rights Commission (CHR) on Saturday criticized an incident in the city of Silay, Negros Occidental, where the police paraded residents who violated health protocols to stop COVID-19, adding that it would start a research on the matter.
A video posted on social media Friday by Silay police showed residents marching down a road with their arms raised forward, following a police patrol.
Residents were reportedly caught leaving their homes without a face mask, a violation of the city ordinance, police said.
They were then taken to a gym and then ordered to look at an empty coffin. The photos also showed residents wearing masks during the ordeal.
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Silay’s Senior Police Chief Rolly Pondevilla said authorities wanted to lecture rule breakers about the consequence of not wearing a mask, a first offense penalty rather than being charged for the offense.
A seminar was held in the gym on the importance of following health protocols, according to the police chief.
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“Its real purpose is to remind you to be careful because there is a pandemic. We give them seminars and we remind them that they can die and be put in the coffin if they are not careful, “said Pondevilla in dialect.
(It was intended to remind residents to follow health protocols due to the pandemic. We held a seminar and reminded them that they could die if they don’t take care of themselves.)
Details are not yet available on the number of residents who were captured and asked to march on Friday.
But the CHR described the incident as “cruel, inhuman and degrading”, noting that the punishment is punishable by law.
The constitutional body added that while everyone must work together to stop the spread of the deadly virus, human rights must be taken into account during the implementation of the health protocol.
“We continually remind law enforcement agencies to adhere to human rights-based policing, including respect for the dignity of each person. . . The current national health crisis is a human rights issue, not a mere law enforcement agenda, ”the statement read.
The agency’s Region VI office will conduct the investigation and hear from the city’s police side on the matter. The CHR said it looks forward to the cooperation of the authorities involved in the incident.
“Parading alleged violators of the quarantine in the streets may amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment penalized by the Law of the Republic No. 9745 (Law against Torture) and prohibited by the Convention against Torture signed by Philippines, ”said the CHR.
The constitutional office also reminded law enforcement officials to coordinate with public health experts “on how to better explain and ensure compliance with health security protocols” while the pandemic persisted. – With a report by Romeo Subaldo
Silay Police, Silay PNP, Police, Regions, Regional News, Human Rights Commission, COVID-19, COVID-19 Pandemic, CHR, Face Masks
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