Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar warned on Sunday (Sept. 19) individuals and groups who put at risk the safety of the public against COVID-19 by holding protest actions purposely to defy the quarantine protocols.
Eleazar said that while the PNP respects the belief of some individuals and groups not to believe in COVID-19 and vaccination, he said they should learn to respect the belief of most Filipinos who abide by the minimum public health safety protocols and other rules to ensure their protection from the deadly virus.
“Nirerespeto namin ang paniniwala ng ilan nating kababayan na hindi maniwala na may COVID at hindi maniwala sa bakuna, pero matuto din sana kayong igalang ang paniniwala ng mas maraming bilang ng mga Pilipino, kabilang na ang mga namatayan at nahawa at lalong-lalo na ang ating mga healthcare workers na nasa frontline ng laban na ito,” Eleazar said.
“Holding protest actions to insist on what you believe in does not make it right. It is but plain and simple acts of defiance and irresponsibility because you are putting our personnel and other civilian population at risk of being infected,” he added.
Members of the group Gising Maharlika recently held a protest action at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to oppose the vaccination program of the national government. Most of them were not wearing face masks in an apparent bid to emphasize that they do not believe in the coronavirus.
“Ipinakita ng inyong kapulisan ang maximum tolerance at pagrespeto sa inyong paniniwala nang magsagawa kayo ng kilos-protesta na walang suot na proteksyon, binabalaan ko kayo na maaring hindi na kayo pagbigyan kapag inulit pa ninyo ang pambabastos sa paniniwala ng karamihan nating kababayan at pambabastos ninyo sa mga patakaran ng public health,” Eleazar said.
He added that the PNP will strictly monitor if there will be protest actions by anti-vaccine groups and individuals that would violate the minimum public health standards. Local police chiefs are tasked to check the situation on the ground regarding possible mass actions wherein the protesters deliberately not wear face masks and violate public health safety protocols.
The inoculation program of the government continues with the continuing arrival of vaccine supplies in the country. The Philippine government aims to increase its COVID-19 vaccination rate to 90% so the country can reach herd immunity by early next year.
Eleazar on Saturday offered police camps and other facilities as vaccination sites as the national government starts to plan the inoculation of the 12 to 17 years old population.
“Sa gitna ng patuloy na pagtaas ng bilang ng mga kaso ng COVID-19, patuloy kaming nakikiusap na isapuso ang laban natin sa pandemya dahil mahigit isang taon na tayong apektado nito, subalit libo-libo pa rin ang nahuhuling violators sa nakalipas na ilang araw,” Eleazar said.
“But this will not discourage your PNP to continuously assist in the enforcement of these rules because this is one of the effective measures that we see to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus,” the PNP chief added.
Meanwhile, the PNP is nearing the completion of the vaccination of its more than 221,000 personnel.
(PNP-PIO) – jlo
