By Chito Chavez
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) anew to strictly enforce the curfew regulations currently in effect in the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año (Photo from Philippine Information Agency / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año stressed the curfew hour provision should be enforced especially in light of the activation of the online inquest proceedings of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
He bared that he has discussed the matter with PNP Chief General Archie Gamboa and has instructed the Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield to continue making arrests of curfew violators to show the imposition of the ECQ has some teeth in it.
The JTF CV Shield is the enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the management of emerging infectious diseases.
The task force is composed of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The DILG chief said “that to be lenient now on curfew violators will go against the very purpose of the ECQ which is to stop movement of people and only allow essential personnel to break curfew.’’
“Marami pa rin tayong pasaway na mga kababayan (There a lot of stubborn people). The only way they will follow the law is if we make arrests,” said Año.
Año noted that the curfew hours imposed has been a success with a total of 42,826 apprehended violators in the first 11 days of the enhanced community quarantine from March 17 up to March 27.
Of this figure, 12,094 arrests were made in Metro Manila.
He said all the arrested violators will be taken to the nearest police stations for investigation and filing of cases.
As to the filing of the charges against curfew violators, Año said they will utilize the “e-inquest” project of the Justice Department, which allows the conduct of a virtual inquest proceedings using any online platform for video calls and conferences and all available electronic communications.
He added that the DOJ has already issued general rules on procedures for the conduct of e-inquest to the government prosecutors across the country. In the absence of Internet connections or online facilities in the police stations, regular direct filing will be accomplished by police investigators.
“If no inquest is done within 12 hours, all arrested violators must be released immediately,” Año said.
The DILG chief said that cases can still be filed against them after the COVID-19 crisis is over.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año (Photo from Philippine Information Agency / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año stressed the curfew hour provision should be enforced especially in light of the activation of the online inquest proceedings of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
He bared that he has discussed the matter with PNP Chief General Archie Gamboa and has instructed the Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield to continue making arrests of curfew violators to show the imposition of the ECQ has some teeth in it.
The JTF CV Shield is the enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the management of emerging infectious diseases.
The task force is composed of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The DILG chief said “that to be lenient now on curfew violators will go against the very purpose of the ECQ which is to stop movement of people and only allow essential personnel to break curfew.’’
“Marami pa rin tayong pasaway na mga kababayan (There a lot of stubborn people). The only way they will follow the law is if we make arrests,” said Año.
Año noted that the curfew hours imposed has been a success with a total of 42,826 apprehended violators in the first 11 days of the enhanced community quarantine from March 17 up to March 27.
Of this figure, 12,094 arrests were made in Metro Manila.
He said all the arrested violators will be taken to the nearest police stations for investigation and filing of cases.
As to the filing of the charges against curfew violators, Año said they will utilize the “e-inquest” project of the Justice Department, which allows the conduct of a virtual inquest proceedings using any online platform for video calls and conferences and all available electronic communications.
He added that the DOJ has already issued general rules on procedures for the conduct of e-inquest to the government prosecutors across the country. In the absence of Internet connections or online facilities in the police stations, regular direct filing will be accomplished by police investigators.
“If no inquest is done within 12 hours, all arrested violators must be released immediately,” Año said.
The DILG chief said that cases can still be filed against them after the COVID-19 crisis is over.