Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon. Screen grab / Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday criticized the local police in Silay, Negros Occidental for making face mask protocol violators walk like “zombies.”
“What they did is totally unnecessary. It did not achieve anything but only fueled the people’s growing distrust of our police authority. Police should treat all persons with dignity and respect,” Drilon said in a statement.
According to Drilon, the incident in Silay was only one of the many instances of “police abuse, overreach and disrespect” that transpired during the pandemic.
He said the police should do away with “theatrics” and file charges in accordance with existing laws if they believe a violation is committed.
“Let me warn the police: the pandemic does not give you the authority to violate the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights and human rights,” he added.
He said an incident like this was the reason why he earlier pushed for the repeal of a provision under the Bayanihan to Heal as One that punished criminally violations of Covid-19 health protocols, including non-wearing of face masks.
“This is the exact police mentality that we want to avoid when we pushed for the repeal of Section 6 of Bayanihan 1 that criminalized violations of Covid-19 health protocols. We have seen how law enforcers abused this provision,” he said.
Under the second Bayanihan law, which was extended by Congress until June 30 this year, criminal liabilities involving Covid-19 health protocol violations were removed, according to the senator.
“These are extraordinary times where laws should be enforced with compassion and leniency. The alleged violators are mostly the poor who are driven by the hunger, given high inflation, and the lack of jobs,” Drilon went on.
He said that while there may be an ordinance imposing curfew in localities or strict Covid-19 health protocols, he said the police should be more compassionate in these trying times.
“While breaking the curfew may be a punishable offense, police must still respect the rights and dignity of those apprehended,” he said.
“If they see poor residents not wearing masks or not observing social distancing, warn them or file charges against them. But in no instance that police should treat the poor and violators as less than human. These are extraordinary times, laws should be enforced with compassion and leniency,” he added.