Police officers man a checkpoint in Cebu City as the government tightens its drive against quarantine violators in a bid to further contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. (INQUIRER file photo / Nestie Semilla)
MANILA, Philippines — Police still need to verify posts on social media regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine violations and violators amid the proliferation of fake news online, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco 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.
(Verification is still needed in monitoring social media posts because fake news is still rampant.)
“Kailangan pa rin i-verify ‘yung pinopost ng tao kung may violation ng minimum health protocol,” Densing added.
(Posts still need to be verified if there are violations of minimum health protocols.)
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 “regularly monitor” various social media platforms 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.
(If it is true that there is no social distancing, no face mask, the police will have to go there to enforce minimum public health standards.)
“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. #
(Arrests will be based on local ordinances of local government units. If there are penalties such as jail time, they can be arrested.)