By Fernan Angeles
THE Department of Interior and Local Government doesn’t seem amenable to the idea fanned by a top police official who hinted at tracking down people who made a report or reported violating quarantine protocols.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said the police still needed to verify posts on social media regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine violations and violators amid the proliferation of fake news online.
Densing said police will still have to visit the site of reported violations for verification.
“Ang pagmomonitor via social media kailangan pa ng verification kasi sa totoo lang maraming fake news,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
“Kailangan pa rin i-verify ‘yung pinopost ng tao kung may violation ng minimum health protocol,” Densing added.
This assurance came on the heels of police’s new policy of monitoring social media to apprehend stubborn quarantine violators.
Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID Shield chief Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar earlier said that the police would keep an eye on the social media in search of people who defy health protocols as most parts of the country remained under community quarantine.
Once it is proven that minimum health protocols have been violated, Densing said apprehension and penalties will be imposed, based on local ordinances.
“Kung totoo naman na walang social distancing, walang face mask, ‘yung kapulisan natin will have to go there para i-enforce ang minimum public health standards,” he said.
“Ang paghuhuli depende kung may ordinansa ang local government. Automatic yan na dahil may kulong at may penalty [sa local ordinance] maaari silang hulihin,” the DILG official said.