Tag Archives: Enhanced Quarantine

[Press Release] 21 veggie vendors arrested for trying to make a living amidst lockdown -SANLAKAS

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Photo by Aaron Pedrosa

Twenty-one ambulant vegetable vendors were arrested by the Quezon City police yesterday afternoon in along the Elliptical Road and are presently detained at the QCPD Station 9 in Anonas. Old Capital Site Barangay Captain Rodelio Cabigas ordered the arrests for violating quarantine protocols.

The vendors claim that they were only forced to sell their wares for fear of going hungry as the government contemplates extending the lockdown for another fifteen to twenty days, as revealed by National Action Plan chief implementer, Carlito Galvez.

Many of them claim that they were promised food and financial assistance by the local government but none has arrived.

“Unless this government finds a speedy way of delivering its promise of support to the people, the struggling poor will continue to find ways to survive on their own,” said Flora Santos-Assidao, leader of a progressive group Sanlakas.

She adds that these people believe that they are more likely to die of hunger than to be infected by the COVID virus.

The Metro Manila Vendors Alliance appealed to the QC police and the local government for the immediate release of the vendors.

“If the law enforcement agencies can extend compassion for the likes of Senator Koko Pimentel, why not provide the same treatment for those in the fringes of society,” they reasoned.###

Contact person: Flora Santos-Assidao: 0908 4288185

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[Action Alert] A barangay chieftain allegedly hit a violator of the Enhanced Quarantine with a bamboo stick -PAHRA

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In the current crisis we are facing, the greater the authority of government officials, the greater the possibility for them to abuse their power in dispensing public services to the people.

In this video posted by GMA News dated March 27, 2020, a barangay chieftain allegedly hit a resident with a bamboo stick when the latter and his wife were seen washing clothes outside their house. The authorities apparently argued that the person violated the enhanced community quarantine policy of the government during the Luzon total lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

Eventually, the incident has been resolved between the victim Marvin Alcorroque and Barangay Chairperson Benjie Hernandez of South Daang Hari in Taguig City. But during the interview done by 24 oras news reporter with the couple, Jane La Villa the wife of the victim said that Hernadez is to blame if something bad happens to his husband.

This barangay personnel must be made accountable and immediately sanctioned. They should be charged with administrative and, criminal charges—if warranted.

Abusive officials tasked to implement the policy will only discourage public cooperation. Public officials are not only limited to enforcing the law but also and more importantly to serve and protect the public’s interest and wellbeing.

Public officials should always be reminded to remain within the limit of the law, assuring accountability, participation, and as well as providing legal remedies for citizens whose rights and interests have been violated.

We encourage the public to continuously report such abuses.

Taguig City Council Mayor Lino Cayetano Department of the Interior and Local Government Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines

Please watch the video here:

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[Statement] More Filipinos are turning to social media to vent their frustrations about the government’s response to stop the spread of COVID-19 -HRonlinePH

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The Human Rights Online Philippines share the concern of a public school teacher in General Santos City, as she expressed her frustrations on Facebook over the local government’s measures that many people are going hungry amid a lockdown in said city. https://www.rappler.com/nation/256157-teacher-son-arrested-without-warrant-general-santos-city-facebook-post-coronavirus

Juliet Espinosa, a 55-year-old public school teacher was arrested by police in General Santos City without a warrant at around 8:00pm on March 27, in reprisal for posting on what local officials tagged as a “provoking” Facebook post, and face charges of inciting to sedition and disobedience to authority, and violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. She was arrested along with her son of legal age for trying to stop the police officers from taking his mother.

Based on news reports, Ms. Espinosa was behind a series of Facebook posts under the name of “Yet Rodriguez Enosencio” that criticized the local government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she was concerned with reports of the miserable situation of some residents due to the impact of the quarantine on their livelihood and that the local government had done nothing to address the problem. “Maraming mamamatay sa gutom if hindi tayo magtutulong-tulong na magreport sa Pangulo na inutil ang ating Mayor…. Panawagan sa walang makain, sugurin ‘nyo na nang sabay-sabay ang Lagao Gym. Nakatambak doon ang pagkaing para sa inyo.”

The scale and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic clearly rises to the level of a public health threat that could justify restrictions on certain rights, such as those that result from the imposition of quarantine or isolation limiting freedom of movement.

Human Rights Online Philippines fully understand and support the efforts of the government to develop and implement strategies to protect human health and human life. The fundamental and non-derogable right to life is at stake, and our government is obligated to ensure its protection.*

Under international human rights law, governments have an obligation to protect the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information of all kinds, regardless of frontiers. Permissible restrictions on freedom of expression for reasons of public health, noted above, may not put in jeopardy the right itself.

The World Health Organization has emphasized that accurate, timely information is essential to fighting COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the government is cracking down on people and implementing sweeping restrictions under the guise of combating misinformation.

While we share the concern that false information about the pandemic could lead to health concerns, panic, and disorder. In this connection, we urge the government to ensure that accurate and up-to-date information about the virus, access to services, service disruptions, and other aspects of the response to the outbreak is readily available and accessible to all.

Human Rights Online Philippines emphasized that any attempts to criminalize information relating to the pandemic undermined trust in government actions, delay access to reliable information and have a chilling effect on freedom of expression. Especially at a time of emergency, when freedom of expression and access to information is of critical importance, broad restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information cannot be justified on public order or national security grounds.

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*COVID-19: Governments must promote and protect access to and free flow of information during a pandemic, say international media freedom experts, 19 March 2020

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