The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) expressed support on the police’s move to monitor quarantine violators online through the official Facebook page of Joint Task Force COVID Shield.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año reiterated that the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) social media monitoring of quarantine violations is not illegal.
Año lauded the move, saying, “it encourages citizen engagement through social media platforms, and it appeals to all civic-minded young people who are concerned about the health and welfare of all Filipinos.”
“Now that we have flattened the COVID-19 curve, all the more should we be more careful and vigilant so as to contain and further reduce the active cases,’’ Año explained.
Año sees the need for all to be more careful and for authorities to enforce strict minimum health standards in the absence of the vaccine for COVID-19.
The PNP already created an official Facebook account where concerned citizens could directly report individuals who blatantly violate quarantine protocols. The police agency would be monitoring the said social media platform.
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DILG supports police move to monitor quarantine violators online
According to PNP deputy chief for administration Lt Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the Facebook account was named after the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, which he leads. The platform would serve as a database of violations on quarantine protocols implemented by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
He added netizens could send and upload pictures and videos of people holding parties and drinking sessions, which are banned during community quarantine.
“All they need to do is to send us the photos and videos, and we will take care of the rest,” Eleazar said in a statement.
Eleazar earlier clarified that the social media monitoring on quarantine violators would be limited to viral photos and videos and reports from concerned citizens.
DILG chief Año also urged the netizens to tag the JTF COVID Shield Facebook page if they photos and videos of quarantine violations online.
Eleazar clarified that cops would not arrest alleged quarantine violators, but the social media post will serve as a “basis for further investigation.”