Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año vowed Sunday to conduct a fact-finding investigation after presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Sen. Manny Pacquiao attended recent events that drew huge crowds and broke quarantine protocols in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
He assured that the fact finding investigation will determine if any minimum health standards were violated and look into if any can be held accountable.
Roque delivered a speech before a large crowd in Cebu for the opening of the Bantayan Island Airport where he admitted being surprised by the large crowd in attendance last Friday.
“The activity where I was seen speaking before a crowd was organized by the local government which I had no control as a guest,” Roque said.
“I was later informed that the local official/s mentioned in interview/s that they did not expect the huge turnout of people as well,” he added.
GMA News reported the supposed screenshots of the Instagram account of Jinkee Pacquiao that went viral on social media where the senator was seen speaking to a crowd in Batangas that did not observe social distancing.
Año in an interview over GMA News urged government officials never to conduct mass gatherings if social distancing cannot be assured.