Events attended by Pacquiao, Roque probed for protocol violations

MANILA, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año vowed to investigate two mass gatherings – one in Batangas, attended by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and another in Cebu, graced by presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. – for possible health and safety violations that have peeved netizens.

“We will make sure that there will be a fact-finding (probe) for that and we will find out if there are people who need to answer for that,” Año said in a radio interview yesterday.

Social media sites were bombarded with comments from irate netizens that Roque be held accountable for addressing a large crowd in Madrilejos, Bantayan Island, Cebu at the opening of its airport last Friday.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, received backlash after his wife Jinkee’s Instagram stories showed the senator addressing a crowd in Batangas.

In both instances, netizens observed that social distancing protocols were not followed.

Roque parried the criticisms, saying that while he had no control over the crowd since he was “a guest” at the event, minimum health protocols were followed.

“I was totally taken aback by the huge crowd that came when I went to Cebu yesterday, Nov. 27, to grace the official opening of the Bantayan Island Airport,” he said on Saturday night. – Christina Mendez