Robredo: Duterte order to detain people not wearing masks properly ‘counterproductive’

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte's recent order to detain people who are not wearing masks or wearing masks improperly in public places is "counterproductive."

On her weekly radio show, Robredo said authorities should teach the public how to properly wear masks instead of arresting them.

"Hindi naman yata iyon iyong tamang response doon. Turuan; turuan kung paano iyong tamang paggamit," Robredo said.

(The correct response is to teach them how to properly wear masks.)

"Ako, para sa akin, hindi nakakatulong na ang default natin, aresto. Unang una, ang sitwasyon nga sa mga jail natin, grabe. Mag-aaresto ka kasi gusto mong i-protect iyong mga tao, pero lalong counterproductive iyon eh. Ako, kapag mayroong mali iyong pagsuot ng face mask, turuan," she added.

(For me, arrest as a default response is not helping. First of all, the situation in the jails is severe. You want to arrest to protect people but this is counterproductive. for me, if someone is incorrectly wearing a mask, just teach them how to do it correctly.)

Last week, Duterte ordered police officers to arrest people who violate the protocol on wearing masks.

The Commission on Human Rights has warned that this order may be "prone to excessive discretion and abuse."

The government's pandemic response was previously flagged as "highly militarized" by the United Nations after some quarantine protocol violators suffered injuries or died at the hands of authorities.

Malacañang said that Duterte's latest directive is "certainly not" too harsh. — BM, GMA News