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MANILA, Philippines – In the same way that the public learned about how the Metro Manila police chief allegedly violated physical distancing and other anti-COVID-19 health measures when he celebrated his birthday last May, police are hoping to catch “stubborn” quarantine offenders, including fellow officers, with the help of social media.
And so the public was warned on Saturday by the Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID Shield Police Chief, Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, that the police would “regularly monitor” various social media platforms in search of people who would challenge the security protocols while most parts of the country remained under some form of community quarantine.
Eleazar said he had instructed all police commanders and their men to conduct what would amount to an online patrol to find violators of the quarantine rules.
Guillermo Eleazar
Mass meetings
He said some people were “inadvertently” posting photos online of quarantine violations, such as mass gatherings and celebrations.
Other photos and videos of quarantine protocol violations committed on the streets that were captured on closed-circuit television and dash cameras were also posted on Facebook, he said.
“Social media is full of photos and evidence of headstrong people deliberately violating quarantine protocols. These can be used as evidence to warn, fine and summon the people involved in coordination with the barangay officials involved, ”Eleazar said in a statement.
He said that among the common images uploaded on social media were violations of the rules on passenger riding on motorcycles and drinking sessions.
Liquor ban
He warned people who gather to drink that they may also be violating the ban on alcoholic beverages in their localities.
Eleazar appealed to the public to “help the PNP (Philippine National Police) prosecute violations of quarantine protocols, even if those involved are policemen.”
Major General Debold Sinas, head of the National Capital Region Police Office, and 18 other senior police officers face criminal charges for violating quarantine protocols when he celebrated his 55th birthday last May.
No social distancing
Their images on social media showed that they did not practice physical distancing or wear face masks. The Taguig city prosecutor’s office had not yet decided whether to bring the charges to court.
According to data from the JTF COVID Shield, more than 365,000 people have been warned, fined and charged with violating quarantine protocols across the country since March 17.
For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.
What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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