MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police reminded police commanders to closely supervise their respective areas of responsibility to help curb a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
This follows the relief of both Caloocan City’s Police Community Precinct 9 commander and the local barangay captain for "failing to effectively enforce minimum public health safety protocols."
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To recall, the Gubat sa Ciudad resort in Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City was shut down by the city government after opening its swimming pool to hundreds of people, including children, amid the modified enhanced community quarantine.
In a statement, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, said that an investigation is still underway to determine Melgar’s culpability in the incident.
“We're still going to give him due process. But if the result of the probe shows that there is negligence on his part, he will definitely be charged. Even the chairman of the barangay where the resort is in wasn't saved in this incident,” said Eleazar partially in Filipino.
“Police are supposed to be making sure that the government's guidelines are being followed in the pandemic since the health of our communities depends on this. We can't neglect this responsibility,” he added.
Accountability for resort-goers, too
Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has since implemented isolation and testing for COVID-19 on those who went to the resort.
Eleazar in his statement also said that those who went to the Gubat sa Ciudad should later be held accountable for their irresponsible actions based on the penalties stipulated in the ordinance.
“We can't always be patient with this," he said.
"Hundreds of you had a good time in the middle of the pandemic in an area under MECQ and you even brought your children with you. If we just let it be, it will send a wrong message that you will just be forgiven for any violations and there is no responsibility for what you did."
Eleazar also emphasized that some of those who went to the Gubat sa Ciudad were reported to have expressed anger on a cameraman of a television network that went to the area to shoot as they were being led out of the resort.
Some of them, according to him, even beat up the cameraman.
“With what they did, where is the immediate reflection that what they did was wrong? Our investigation is ongoing with regard to this incident,” the PNP chief said.