15,000 apprehended in QC for not wearing masks

Authorities in Quezon City have apprehended some 15,000 people for failing to wear anti-coronavirus masks, in violation of a local ordinance, an official said Monday. 

The move did not require warrants of arrest because violators were caught "in flagrante", said the city's Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) head Elmo San Diego. 

"Still counting pero nasa mga 15,000 na kami. In fact, noong isang araw lang... lumabas na 1,000 nahuli namin," he told TeleRadyo. 

(We are still counting, but we have already apprehended some 15,000 violators. Just the other day, we apprehended about 1,000 people.)

"Pinoprotektahan namin iyong mga tao na manghahawa at saka iyong puwede nilang mahawa. Hindi iyong ganoon na parang nagpaparamihan kami ng mahuhuli," he said. 

(We are protecting those who could pass the virus and those who could catch it. We are not competing for the most arrests.)

Violators are brought to a police station and undergo online inquest. They can contest the charges through a hearing. If found guilty, they will be fined P1,000 on the first offense, and P3,000 and P5,000 on the succeeding offenses, San Diego said. 

Quezon City, Metro Manila's most populous area, as of Sunday had confirmed 5,505 cases of the novel coronavirus disease. This is the third highest COVID-19 tally in the country, next to that of Cebu City with 6,573 cases and Manila with 5,753 cases, according to the health department's website. 

Watch his full interview here. 

TeleRadyo, July 20, 2020