DOJ, DILG sign guidelines on handling health protocol violations

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday signed the internal guidelines for law enforcers and government agencies in handling health protocol violations.

In a signing ceremony, Año said the joint memorandum circular also clarified the roles of concerned government agencies in managing these cases.

“The JMC likewise clarifies our agencies roles in handling quarantine-related violations beginning from arrest, investigation, detainment, then to filing of charges, legal processing to dismissal of case, punishment, until the eventual release of the person,” Año said.

Gueverra pointed out that these internal guidelines are addressed to the law enforcers, officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He said there are no new regulations added to the existing rules in light of the public health emergency.

According to Guevarra, the actions of authorities still should be based on the local ordinances during a public health emergency.

“’Law enforcement agents and this goes also to our local governmentt officials, they should be very familiar with ordinance prevailing or in effect in their place because that is the legal framework of what they can do and cannot do,” Guevarra said. —NB, GMA News