SC Justice Leonen: ‘Insensitive’ to hold parties amid pandemic

Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on Wednesday said it is "insensitive" to hold parties amid the COVID-19 crisis, shortly after it was reported that a party and relief good distribution for a police official's birthday made residents break physical distancing rules.

"Parties are mass gatherings. It is insensitive to hold one," Leonen said on Twitter.

Parties are mass gatherings. It is insensitive to hold one. The Supreme Court held a retirement ceremony of a justice with 40 years of service via a private videoconferenced ceremony. He deserves more but we had to do what was ethical while our people suffer#NoBirthdayParties

— Help others. Humanity will endure. (@marvicleonen) May 13, 2020

He said the SC held a private retirement ceremony for Justice Andres Reyes Jr., who had 40 years of service, through videoconferencing. "He deserves more but we had to do what was ethical while our people suffer," Leonen said.

The online retirement rites were held last Friday, the first such ceremony to be held through videoconferencing in the court's history. Reyes retired on Monday, his 70th birthday.

Mañanita

On Tuesday, Philippine National Police chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa has said he will look into whether quarantine rules were violated when Metro Manila police chief Major General Debold Sinas supposedly had a party and distributed relief items in Tondo, Manila during his birthday last week.

But Gamboa said that Sinas assured him that social distancing was observed.

"Una walang party ang nangyari ang sabi ni General Sinas, probably nagkaroon ng mañanita pero doon sa mañanita, ang sabi [ni] General Sinas is that inobserve pa rin nila 'yung mga social distancing," Gamboa said.

"Now, I don't think naman na mayroong violation ito. Mayroon 'yung ginawa niyang programa kasi parang inecourage niya lahat ng kaniyang personnel even down to the pcp na magbigay ng ayuda as part of his celebration, he assured me that physical distancing was observed. Kung mayroon man, I will look into it," he added.

Asked about the issue, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año for his part reminded government officials, including law enforcers, to show delicadeza in performing their duties. — RSJ, GMA News