Philippine National Police chief Police (PNP) General Debold Sinas said Thursday that the cops could not monitor social media accounts concerning quarantine violations, specifically during the holidays.
Sinas said in an interview that the police force is not capable of monitoring the social media accounts of the general public for now. What the PNP does is to respond to messages or complaints that are reported to them or those violations that have gone viral online.
“Actually ang stand pa dati wala naman, ‘yung kuwan lang namin, ‘yung mga nagba-viral na ibinabato sa amin,” Sinas told CNN Philippines.
“As to [the question of] monitoring ng social media, wala po kaming capability sa ngayon at opisina na nag-monitor niyan. Ang ginagawa namin, pag may nagtext, ‘sir nag-viral ‘to,’ ‘sir nagganito ‘to,’ ‘Yun ang hinahanap at ‘yun ang inaaksyunan po namin,” he added.
In September, Joint Task Force COVID Shield created an official Facebook account where concerned citizens could directly report individuals who blatantly violate quarantine protocols. At the time, it said the PNP would be monitoring the said social media platform.
According to PNP deputy chief for administration Lt Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the platform would serve as a database of violations on quarantine protocols implemented by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Sinas says PNP not capable of monitoring social media accounts
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.
He further explained that police’s social media monitoring would target government officials and prominent personalities who committed quarantine violations.
“Huwag matakot ang ating mga kababayan kasi alam ninyo, ang natatarget dito, in fact, mga prominent individuals and government officials. Bakit? Dahil sila ay madaling maidentify, nagba-viral sila… at the same time, sila kasi dapat ang nangunguna dito kaya wala dapat ikabahala ang ating mga kababayan,” Eleazar said.
Malacañang also supported the idea and said nothing illegal with the police monitoring social media to look for quarantine violators.