MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte wants the police to be more strict in enforcing health measures meant to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), saying that violators may be jailed to give them “a lesson.”
“We have to ask our police to be more strict. Hulihin talaga,” Duterte said in a taped speech aired by state media on Tuesday morning.
“A little shame or put them on notice forever. Sino ba namang gusto mahuli ka? But if you are brought to the police station and detained there, that would give you a lesson for all time,” he added.
Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año urged local government units to pass uniform and harmonized ordinances that will be implemented against quarantine protocol violators nationwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the same speech, the President also called on local chief executives to “do more” as COVID-19 infections in the country continue to rise.
“The mayors have to do more. They have to do more. They have to take care (of their constituents),” Duterte said.
He added that mayors could be invited for a meeting in Malacañang if their localities record high coronavirus transmission.
To date, there are 68,898 COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 23,072 recoveries and 1,835 deaths.