The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has reminded the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) against the reported and confirmed abuses and maltreatment by local officials and policemen of quarantine violators.

It said the DILG should “ensure that stronger measures for exacting accountability of local officials and PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel who were involved in the maltreatment of quarantine violators are put in place and consistently implemented."

It also urged the DILG to advice local government units (LGUs) to place fundamental human rights at the center of their response against the health crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

At the same time, the CHR also told the DILG to closely monitor all LGUs to ensure that they deliver all the needed socio-economic assistance and health service during the health crisis and not to discriminate against indigenous peoples, older persons, women and children in gender-based violence situations, human rights defenders, and other vulnerable groups.

The CHR recalled several reported and confirmed cases of abuse and maltreatment of quarantine violators.

One of the earliest reports was the "parade" of apprehended quarantine violators around Silay City in Negros Occidental last February. The "parade" was even posted by the Philippine National Police (PNP), it said.

Last April, the CHR was appalled to learn that quarantine violator Darren Peñaredondo from Gen. Trias City in Cavite died after he was made to do 300 pumping exercises.

Shortly after Peñaredondo's death, another curfew violator in Calamba, Laguna died after being beaten by barangay tanods (village watchmen).

Last Aug. 7, a 59-year-old curfew violator with mental illness was even shot to death by a barangay tanod in Tondo, Manila. Based on reports, the CHR said that Eduardo Geñoga was reportedly accosted by barangay tanod Cesar Panlaqui after the former was caught slamming doors and gates in Tayuman Street during curfew hours. When Geñoga approached Panlaqui with a stick, the latter shot the former in the chest.

The incidents on abuses and maltreatment of quarantine violations were contained in the CHR’s 123-page report entitled "Rights during a Pandemic: The 2020 Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines."

The report was signed by CHR Chairperson Jose Luis Martin Gascon and Commissioners Karen Gomez-Dumpit, Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana, Leah Tanodra-Armamento, and Roberto Eugenio T. Cadiz.