The Commission on Human Rights will conduct an investigation on the Silay City Police Station’s action of allegedly parading arrested quarantine violators.
“The CHR Western Visayas office will conduct a probe on the incident as they also look forward for the cooperation of the Silay Philippine National Police towards addressing the human rights concern,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement.
PMaj. Rollie Pondevilla, Silay City police chief, however, said that parading the quarantine violators will remind them and the public of the existing COVID-19 pandemic.
On Feb. 5, the station posted a video on social media, showing a group of apprehended quarantine violators being paraded in the city for not wearing face masks.
“The purpose is to remind them to take care of themselves, since the pandemic is still there. We conducted a seminar to remind them that if something happens to them, they will end up in a coffin,” Pondevilla said in an interview.
Instead of filing charges against them, being first offenders, they were only told to attend a seminar, as a reminder, for them to be take care of themselves, he added.
The quarantine violators were paraded with arms forward to maintain physical distancing, starting from the police station. At the Silay plaza covered court, the police made the the quarantine violators stand in front of an empty coffin.
De Guia said that parading alleged quarantine violators on the streets may amount to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment penalized by Republic Act No. 9745 (Anti-Torture Act) and barred by Convention Against Torture signed by the Philippines.
De Guia said that human rights must always rest at the core of law enforcement.
“We urge law enforcement officers to also coordinate with public health experts on how to better explain and ensure compliance to health safety protocols amidst the pandemic,” she added.
While CHR agree with the need to continuously work together to curb the transmission of the COVID-19 virus by faithfully adhering to health safety protocols set by experts, De Guia stressed that addressing the current pandemic must always be guided by human rights principles.
“After all, the present national health crisis is a human rights issue – not a mere law enforcement agenda,” she said. “We continuously remind law enforcers to adhere to human rights-based policing, including respect for every person’s dignity.” – GB
