Police band at stadium meant to cheer LSIs –PNP

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac on Monday defended the move to have a police band perform for thousands of locally stranded individuals at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex over the weekend.

Banac said the cops had to think of measures to "cheer up" the LSIs wishing to go home to their home provinces.

"As a big number of LSIs continue to cram into the Rizal Memorial Stadium last weekend, all wanting to return to their home provinces through the government-sponsored transport program, our police had to think of ways to cheer the people up," Banac explained.

"In such a big facility as a stadium, a musical band was deemed more suitable given the situation," he added.

Earlier reports said PNP musicians played wind instruments to entertain the LSIs at the said stadium, despite the threat of COVID-19, an infectious disease that is spread through respiratory droplets and possibly by even smaller airborne particles.

The cops had to pull down their masks to play their instruments, as shown by a photo taken by Reuters journalist Eloisa Lopez.

The national government stressed that guidelines against the spread of COVID-19 must be observed by the public, including physical distancing and the wearing of masks.

There are more than 82,000 COVID-19 cases in the country. — DVM, GMA News