The Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Friday created a Facebook account where netizens could directly report blatant violations of quarantine protocols.
In a statement, JTF COVID Shield head Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the move was part of efforts to empower the people not only to help the government in enforcing quarantine rules but also in protecting themselves and their community from people who defy the health safety protocols.
Eleazar said the official Facebook account of the JTF COVID Shield under the account name COVID Shield is an additional avenue for the public to report quarantine violations they would monitor in the social media, aside from the existing Facebook accounts of local police stations and other police units.
“We in the JTF COVID Shield believe that most of our netizens have already come across with total disregard of quarantine violations in their accounts through the uploaded photos and videos of their Facebook friends,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said the account would serve as a platform for reporting blatant violations of quarantine rules such as engaging in drinking sessions, large parties and celebrations, and even illegal gambling in public places.
“All they need to do is to send us the photos and videos and we will take care of the rest,” he added.
Eleazar said those who want to report quarantine violations in social media could either tag the JTF COVID Shield or send the photos and videos through Messenger.
The photos and videos that would be sent will be used as a basis in the verification of the police in coordination with the Local Government Units concerned, particularly the barangay officials.
Earlier on, the Philippine National Police said it would now “regularly monitor” social media platforms to hunt down violators of community quarantine protocols.
“The social media are full of photos and evidence of hardheaded people deliberately violating the quarantine protocols. These can be used as pieces of evidence to warn, to fine and to summon the people concerned in coordination with the barangay officials concerned,” said Eleazar in a statement.
Eleazar said the directive, issued by PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, covered violations of minimum health safety standard protocols such as mass gathering for drinking sessions and other forms of celebrations.
Among the photos that went viral for possible community quarantine violation was the birthday mañanita of National Capital Region Police Office chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas in May.
Sinas and 18 other police officers were slapped with criminal charges before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office for violating quarantine protocols such as wearing face masks and observing physical distancing but then PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said the mañanit was already a “closed issue.”
For Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes, the order to monitor social media posts added on to the government’s militarized response to the pandemic.
“The PNP wants to use the pandemic to turn the Philippines into a police state, where every action is monitored by the authorities,” Reyes told Manila Standard.
“There are no clear guidelines for this. Quarantine violations are also not punishable by imprisonment. This proposal can be abused in so many ways as has been the case with quarantine guidelines since the Enhanced Community Quarantine started,” he added.
Eleazar also appealed to netizens to assist the PNP in running after violators of quarantine protocols, even if those involved are policemen.
“I will see to it that everybody who imposes or implements the law shall be disciplined and should also follow the law they are implementing,” Cascolan earlier said.
Data from the JTF COVID Shield showed more than 365,000 were warned, fined or charged for violations of quarantine rules since March 17.