- Online hunt for lockdown violators
- Flattened curve for NCR by end-Sept.
The Philippine National Police will now “regularly monitor” social media platforms to hunt down violators of community quarantine protocols as the country logged 2,529 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total to 234,570, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, expressed hope the government will be able to flatten the curve in Metro Manila before the end of the month so a more related Modified General Community Quarantine can take effect as Health Undersecretary and COVID-19 treatment czar Leopoldo Vega noted that the case mortality rate has gone down from 5 to 1.6 percent lately.
“The social media are 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,” said Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement.
Eleazar said the directive, issued by PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, covers violations of minimum health safety standard protocols such as mass gathering for drinking sessions and other forms of celebrations.
Among the photos that went viral for possible community quarantine violation was the birthday mañanita of National Capital Region Police Office chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas in May.
Sinas and 18 other police officers were slapped with criminal charges before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office for violating quarantine protocols such as wearing face masks and observing physical distancing but then PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said the mañanit was already a “closed issue.”
For Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes, the order to monitor social media posts furthers the government’s militarized response to the pandemic.
“The PNP wants to use the pandemic to turn the Philippines into a police state, where every action is monitored by the authorities,” Reyes told Manila Standard.
“There are no clear guidelines for this. Quarantine violations are also not punishable by imprisonment. This proposal can be abused in so many ways as has been the case with quarantine guidelines since the Enhanced Community Quarantine started,” he added.
Eleazar also appealed to netizens to assist the PNP in running after violators of quarantine protocols, even if those involved are policemen.
“I will see to it that everybody who imposes or implements the law shall be disciplined and should also follow the law they are implementing,” Cascolan earlier said.
Data from the JTF COVID Shield showed more than 365,000 were warned, fined or charged for violations of quarantine rules since March 17.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health announced 1,136 recoveries on Saturday, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to 161,668. Active cases stood at 69,112.
The DOH also reported 53 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 3,790.
Vega, for his part, said the country’s clinical practice and management have improved a lot in the battle against the pandemic.
“For moderate to severe cases, we are giving Remdesivir. It has been shown to help patients in Intensive Care Units recover more quickly,” he said.
Remdesivir costs P6,000 to P8,000 per vial and moderate to severe cases need at least 11 vials, he said.