Philippine local govts to uniform penalty for all lockdown violators

MANILA, Jul 26, 2020, The Manila Times. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday urged all local government units (LGUs) to have uniform penalty for quarantine violators, The Manila Times reported.

According to DILG spokesman and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, they want a
“consistent” system in penalizing people that violated health and quarantine protocols.

“It is better to have uniform penalties nationwide. That’s why we suggested this to the local government units,” Malaya stressed in the Laging Handa press briefing.

Malaya dismissed criticisms saying that such a move was unconstitutional.

“We do not see any constitutional problems because we are in a public health emergency,” Malaya pointed out.

It is the obligation of the national and local government to secure the general welfare and public health of all the citizens, he explained.

“Some LGUs have their own ordinances with different penalties,” Malaya noted, citing that some LGUs have heavy penalties for quarantine breaches while others have lighter ones.

DILG, together with the Department of Health, had launched “Bida ang may Disiplina” campaign to instill discipline among people to observe the health protocols.
Malaya described the campaign as a “soft approach.”

The campaign wants the people to wear face mask, wash their hands regularly and to observe physical distancing.

In the Pre-State of the Nation Address press briefing, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año raised the idea of having a unified penalty for quarantine transgressors. He suggested 10 to 30 days imprisonment for not wearing a facemask in public and not observing physical distancing.

Año also recommended the LGUs slap a fine of P1,000 to P5,000 against violators.