House seeks clear-cut rules on ECQ enforcement
Published Apr 28, 2020 12:00 am
By Ben Rosario
The peace and order cluster of the House Defeat COVID-19 Ad Hoc Committee called yesterday for a clarification of the rules of engagement to be adhered to by law enforcement agencies in dealing with citizens suspected of violating stringent rules of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
House of the Representatives (Facebook)
One of the co-chairmen of the House panel also urged the government to withhold social amelioration assistance and other aid to persons violating the ECQ rules.
At yesterday’s virtual meeting of the Peace and Order Cluster of the House Defeat COVID-19 Committee, the House panel also recommended the immediate conduct of legislative inquiries into human rights violations allegedly committed by men in uniform as they enforce ECQ regulations.
Co-chaired by Reps. Jesus “Bong” Suntay of the Committee on Human Rights, Narciso Bravo of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, and Raul Tupas who heads the Committee on National Defense, the cluster agreed that government has been carrying out the right measures that will help the country cope with the deadly effects of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
They believe that a number of measures should be put in place to prepare the country in transitioning to the “new normal” as the world awaits the development of a vaccine that will protect people from the coronavirus.
House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who presided over the meeting, underscored the need to put in place peace and order policies that will have to be observed as the nation proceeds to the “new normal” phase of life.
“Ladies and gentlemen, these measures are designed to preserve public order and safety. But we need to do more. We cannot allow our national health care system to be overwhelmed,” Romualdez said.
“While coping with concomitant economic and social costs, we need to pursue strategic directions to flatten the so-called epidemiological curve of COVID-19. Together, we can do more,” he said.
Suntay said law enforcement and human rights observance should be well balanced notwithstanding the presence of a public health emergency that has killed hundreds in the country and threatens the life of thousands of Filipinos.
He cited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet who said that “public health emergency is no blank cheque to disregard human rights obligations.”
The Quezon City lawmaker said Congress will have to conduct its own legislative inquiry in cases where human rights are violated.
Tupas, on the other hand, urged law enforcement agencies to clarify the legal rules pertaining to “arrests, detention, inquests, and release” of ECQ violators.
He pointed out its significance in the current situation, considering that government is also tapping the military that lacked “a clear authority to perform police functions.”
Tupas also called for the fast-tracking of the implementation of the National Identification System and the temporary release of “low-level, first time, non-violent offenders, the sick, and the elderly” who are currently detained.
Suntay and Tupas urged the government to address immediately the needs of law enforcement frontliners, especially in protecting them against COVID-19.
Bravo said violators of the ECQ rules should be denied government dole outs and food assistance as among the penalties.
House of the Representatives (Facebook)
One of the co-chairmen of the House panel also urged the government to withhold social amelioration assistance and other aid to persons violating the ECQ rules.
At yesterday’s virtual meeting of the Peace and Order Cluster of the House Defeat COVID-19 Committee, the House panel also recommended the immediate conduct of legislative inquiries into human rights violations allegedly committed by men in uniform as they enforce ECQ regulations.
Co-chaired by Reps. Jesus “Bong” Suntay of the Committee on Human Rights, Narciso Bravo of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, and Raul Tupas who heads the Committee on National Defense, the cluster agreed that government has been carrying out the right measures that will help the country cope with the deadly effects of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
They believe that a number of measures should be put in place to prepare the country in transitioning to the “new normal” as the world awaits the development of a vaccine that will protect people from the coronavirus.
House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who presided over the meeting, underscored the need to put in place peace and order policies that will have to be observed as the nation proceeds to the “new normal” phase of life.
“Ladies and gentlemen, these measures are designed to preserve public order and safety. But we need to do more. We cannot allow our national health care system to be overwhelmed,” Romualdez said.
“While coping with concomitant economic and social costs, we need to pursue strategic directions to flatten the so-called epidemiological curve of COVID-19. Together, we can do more,” he said.
Suntay said law enforcement and human rights observance should be well balanced notwithstanding the presence of a public health emergency that has killed hundreds in the country and threatens the life of thousands of Filipinos.
He cited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet who said that “public health emergency is no blank cheque to disregard human rights obligations.”
The Quezon City lawmaker said Congress will have to conduct its own legislative inquiry in cases where human rights are violated.
Tupas, on the other hand, urged law enforcement agencies to clarify the legal rules pertaining to “arrests, detention, inquests, and release” of ECQ violators.
He pointed out its significance in the current situation, considering that government is also tapping the military that lacked “a clear authority to perform police functions.”
Tupas also called for the fast-tracking of the implementation of the National Identification System and the temporary release of “low-level, first time, non-violent offenders, the sick, and the elderly” who are currently detained.
Suntay and Tupas urged the government to address immediately the needs of law enforcement frontliners, especially in protecting them against COVID-19.
Bravo said violators of the ECQ rules should be denied government dole outs and food assistance as among the penalties.