Philippine police draw flak for intend to monitor social media on quarantine
06 September, 2020
Philippine police drew criticism from netizens and activists on Sunday (Sep 6) for an idea to monitor social media to enforce quarantine rules, with critics accusing the authorities of authoritarianism and double standards.
National Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, head of a task force enforcing quarantine protocols, warned of fines and penalties of community service for people violating protective measures, while violators of liquor bans will face "additional charges".
"Police could use public postings on social media as leads, and these will be in addition to the police visibility businesses we are conducting and will complement tips we get from police hotline," Eleazar told Reuters by phone.
Manila ended another round of strict lockdown measures on Aug 19 to boost business activity, but people still must wear masks in public areas and observe 1m distancing, while children, older people and pregnant women are urged to remain at home.
The plan to monitor social media, announced on Saturday, seems to show the authorities agency "wants to use the pandemic to turn us right into a police state, where every action has been watched by the authorities," Renato Reyes, secretary general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation) said on Twitter.
Critics said the program shows a double standard after a police chief was permitted to keep his post despite flouting a ban on social gatherings in May.
Photographs on the authorities force's Facebook page showed Debold Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region police, celebrating his birthday along with dozens of folks without masks sitting close together, with beer cans on the tables despite an alcohol ban. Sinas apologised.
Eleazar said criminal and administrative cases have already been filed against Sinas for the incident.
The Philippines has recorded 234,570 coronavirus cases, the best in Southeast Asia, with 3,790 COVID-19 deaths.
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