Silay City police chief says alleged quarantine violators’ rights not violated by march

The police chief of Silay City, Negros Occidental defended parading alleged health protocol violators in public last week, saying that the police station is open to investigations as they believe they did not disregard human rights.

In a report by Vonne Aquino on 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday, the Silay City Police station said the individuals were only forced to walk some 15 to 20 meters from the police station to attend a seminar in the covered court, instead of being fined P1,000 each.

"Wala namang problema kung imbestigahan tayo kasi I believe that I have acted in good faith at ang aking tao, na tama lang ang aming ginawa," station chief Police Major Rollie Pondevilla said in the same report.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana also defended the march.

"Hindi naman po outright talagang maituturing po itong human rights violation. Ang layunin nga po, dahil hindi sila puwedeng magkasama-sama doon po sa loob ng police station, minabuti ng chief of police na doon na lang sila sa mas maluwag na lugar—sa gym," he said.

A video recording showed that the supposed quarantine violators were forced to walk with their arms raised forward behind a police mobile patrol, which officials defended by saying this was to ensure that distancing measures were followed.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is now looking into the matter, as this may be in violation of Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture act as parading alleged quarantine violators may amount to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment, also barred by the Convention Against Torture signed by the Philippines.

"We continuously remind law enforcers to adhere to human rights-based policing, including respect for every person's dignity," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann De Guia said.

The PNP is led by Police General Debold Sinas, who was promoted as its chief in November, even after celebrating a mañanita despite the prohibition on mass gatherings during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News