Mic Drop
By Bea Jenine Endaya
The comeback of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) this year also means administering curfew hours back as well, especially in the NCR plus bubble. Ever since the quarantine started back in March 2020, curfew has been a part of its protocols. This is imposed to prevent citizens from going out at night in order to lessen the transmission of virus. Even so, not everyone easily complies with the guidelines given as there are a handful of “tigas-ulo” people who still go out.
The latest highest record of curfew violators in NCR plus has reached a number of exactly 2,807 people, 253 of which came from the province of Cavite. With this much curfew violators, how are the officials from different Local Government Units handling them? One issue answered this question.
The death of a curfew violator from General Trias, Cavite after executing a ‘forced physical punishment’ of 300 pumping exercises given by the officials broke the internet. The said violator was revealed to have an underlying health condition and has experienced convulsion the next day then falling into a comatose before passing away. Further investigation has been done by the Local Government that resulted in the elimination from post of the General Trias Police Chief and 2 other cops who ordered the violators to execute excessive physical punishments. Given what happened, who really is the violator?
A normal curfew penalty, stated in the House Bill No. 3343, covers a fine and community service depending on the number of times a person has violated the curfew. During the ECQ, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) revealed that the sanctions for curfew violators are controlled by LGUs. Additionally, DILG emphasized that they prohibited LGUs from giving physical punishments. This brought the General Trias City Police on the edge. As a former cadet officer in high school, I have undergone light military training from the Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) and sets of pumping exercises are tiring. I may not have experienced a really extreme training, but at least I can say that an exercise with 300 forced repetitions is not good for an ordinary citizen that is not used to workouts. Consequently, this situation will really question the assigned officers with their decision to give a physical punishment to the violators instead of giving lighter activities like community service.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that an abusive punishment was given to curfew violators. During the first week of lockdown last 2020, a report about the city of Parañaque forcing curfew violators to sit under the blazing heat of the sun caused outrage to people. Another case was recorded in the province of Laguna where violators were locked up in dog cages. All these speak of the increasing misconduct carried out by barangay officials and police officers in their respective posts. With the heightened fear ensued by police brutality that is occurring in different parts of the world, these abusive punishments done, as how I see it, only make people develop extreme fear of the police—whose duty, ironically, should be protecting the citizens.
In brief, these offenses and abuses done by local government officials fall under the Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009. The act aims to value and respect every human and their rights. It also ensures that human rights, including detainees, prisoners, and suspects are respected with no human under investigation shall be put through physical or mental harm, violence and threat. With the RA 9745 as proof, I believe getting sacked from their respective positions is not the only consequence these officials should face. Furthermore, a stricter supervision with the police officials and with the sanctions given by them should be administered for a more organized system of discipline within their respective locations, ensuring that consequences are aligned with the country’s laws.
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