Screen grab rom Rhomel Pinca’s Facebook livestream
A lawyers’ group has expressed its concerns on reports of citizen arrests and supposed human rights offenses in areas under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
“While we do not condone senseless violations of quarantine rules, we condemn the use of the supposed violation of said rules to arrest those delivering relief aid to the poor and even those protesting or expressing dissent,” the Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties (CLCL) said in a statement.
CLCL pointed out how arrests were made on people who have been trying to extend help, “while allies of President Duterte were left untouched despite violations of quarantine rules, the government has hammered dissenters for the same supposed violations.”
It cited the instance of feeding program volunteers in Marikina and Quezon City who were detained during Labor Day over supposed ECQ violations and labor activists conducting indoor protests which they posted online.
Meanwhile, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was arrested for the same violation, was not detained and immediately released by police authorities.
This was also pointed out by the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) whose vice president Lito Rastica and labor leader Reynaldo Dulay were also nabbed on Labor Day for alleged ECQ violations.
The two were collared while picketing near their residences with ECQ passes, wearing masks and practicing physical distancing, said labor group PAGGAWA. (Jojo Mangahis)