QC mayor allays fears, clarifies issues on warrantless arrest of quarantine violators

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte. INQUIRER.net file photo / Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday denied that the city government is “out to indiscriminately arrest people” as she apologized for the confusion and alarm caused by a memorandum she earlier issued which listed guidelines on the warrantless arrest of quarantine violators.

Belmonte issued the clarification amid online group chat exchanges which she said “demonized” the said guidelines.

“I’m aware that there was a massive Viber group exchange in which the guidelines were demonized, it was alarmist in a sense. The intention was to show that the memorandum was an excuse for the local government to carry out abuse of power and  to do indiscriminate arrest and of course for me that is misinformation,” she said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

“We exercise maximum tolerance. We exercise the law based on reason and common sense. We are not out to indiscriminately arrest people just because we want to show we are powerful, we are not that kind of government,” she added.

Belmonte pointed out that the intent of the said guidelines was to implement “standard, lawful and proper guidelines that can be followed by all law enforcers.”

“Really the intent of this is precisely to prevent abuse of power,” she said.

“I’m sorry if they cause so much misunderstanding or apprehension and they alarm a lot of people,” she added.

The mayor pointed to a previous incident where a fish vendor without a face mask and a quarantine pass while selling outdoors, was beaten up by city government agents.

“That actually resonated in me. I felt that there was a need for us to issue guidelines to our law enforcers, primarily with regards to the proper procedures that have to be undertaken when apprehending an individual that is in violation of an existing ordinance or law,” she said.

Belmonte also belied “false information” being spread through online group chats that persons who fail to wear a face mask inside their homes or private vehicles will be apprehended.

“I can categorically say that that is not the practice in Quezon City,” she said.

Further, the mayor said she is willing to sit down with those who raised concerns over the memorandum she had issued.

“I am happy to [have a] dialogue with those who have concerns about it. We’re open to that,” she said.

“I would like to invite you to a dialogue. My objective is to curb transmission of COVID-19. We are on the same side. Let’s talk about it,” she added.

Citing local government data, Belmonte said Quezon City has so far recorded 5,128 COVID-19 cases (2,114 active cases and 2,714 recoveries. )

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