NBI probing quarantine violations sans filed complaints -official

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) can initiate investigations into possible violations of community quarantine rules even without filed complaints, an official said Wednesday. 

"Director [Eric] Distor ordered last March 31 all the operating units of NBI to conduct investigations on possible violations of the community quarantine," NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said in a message to reporters.

President Rodrigo Duterte told Congress in a report dated March 30, a day before Distor issued his order, that the NBI was going after local officials who defied quarantine guidelines set by the national government.

When asked if local government officials are covered by the ongoing investigations, Lavin said he has no details yet. He said agents are still in the field.

He did confirm, when asked, that the NBI, "upon orders of higher authorities," can initiate investigations without complaints.

"Yes. The Director already ordered the agents to conduct the investigations," Lavin said.

Dated March 30, Duterte's first weekly report to Congress pursuant to the new law giving him additional powers amid the COVID-19 emergency states the NBI is "investigating and filing charges."

“The NBI is investigating and filing charges against local government officials who willfully disregard, contravene, or violate national guidelines on community quarantine set by the IATF-EID [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases],” the President's report states.

According to the Philippine National Police, 71,540 people violated quarantine guidelines between March 17 and 30. Police data showed 39,866 of these individuals were from Luzon, the rest from Visayas and Mindanao.

The entire island of Luzon has been placed under quarantine as authorities attempt to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, which had infected 2,084 people in the country as of Tuesday.

Of the national total, 88 patients have died and 49 have recovered. --KBK, GMA News