CHR to cops: Exercise maximum tolerance while guarding quarantine hotels

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday urged police to faithfully follow the order of Philippine National Police chief Police General Dionardo Carlos to exercise maximum tolerance and respect human rights as they guarded hotels which served as quarantine facilities.

In a statement, CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann De Guia said the police should follow Carlos' in enforcing COVID-19 health protocols.

“It is crucial that the PNP adheres faithfully to the directive of PNP Chief Dionardo Carlos in exercising maximum tolerance and respect for human rights in enforcing public health standards and protocols to reduce, if not eliminate, cases of possible human rights violations on the ground,” CHR spokesperson De Guia said.

De Guia recognized the discretion of the government in using police force to ensure public safety.

On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered law enforcers to guard hotels serving as quarantines for returning Filipinos after a viral report of a woman who skipped quarantine after arriving from the United States.

De Guia underscored that a humanitarian approach needs to balance law enforcement during this time of pandemic.

“We continue to appeal to the government to uphold the primacy of human rights in all situations, at all times,” she added. —NB, GMA News