1,743 quarantine violators still in jails

MANILA, Philippines — At least 1,743 people remain in jails for violating quarantine rules.

Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed that as of Thursday, 1,597 are detained in Luzon, 94 in the Visayas and 52 in Mindanao.

Those detained comprise .35 percent of the 486,190 people accosted since the government imposed a community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 123,994 quarantine violators have been detained since March.

PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Joint Task Force COVID Shield head, clarified that not all the 1,743 have been languishing in jails since the community quarantine was imposed.

Eleazar said the figure has been changing as violators are being apprehended everyday.

“Come and go yan. Nag-iiba ang bilang,” he said.

Aside from violating quarantine protocols, such as wearing of face masks and face shields, Eleazar said most of those who landed in jails were arrested for resistance and disobedience.

He said a majority of the violators were either warned or fined for their offenses.

A total of 175,052 people or 36 percent were issued warnings while 187,144 or 38.49 percent were fined.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta had earlier expressed concern on the continued detention of quarantine violators, saying he would discuss the matter with Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Peralta said a person arrested without a warrant should be delivered to judicial authorities within the periods provided under the Revised Penal Code.

He asked Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez to verify if cases have been filed against those who are still detained.