It’s no question that face masks are this pandemic’s most important must-have, that’s why punishments for not wearing one are becoming even more stringent. Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año announced today that citizens who are seen not wearing a face mask outdoors could be imprisoned for 10 to 30 days.
In a meeting with local chief executives, Año said that they will be coming up with a uniform penalty for violators of health protocols across the country—and incarceration was a clear suggestion. They also said that fines for not wearing a face mask can range from P1,000 to P5,000. Those who violate physical distancing measures may also face 10- to 30-day imprisonment.
“Magkakaroon ng uniform implementation kung paano ipapatupad ’yung health standard protocols. ’Yung number of days i-imprison kapag nag-violate ka ng [face] mask [policy], we suggest 10 to 30 days. For physical distancing, also 10 to 30 days imprisonment,” Año said.
Año said that these strict protocols must be duly implemented by local authorities.
In his latest meeting with Cabinet officials yesterday, July 21, President Rodrigo Duterte nabbed the police to arrest and subsequently detain those who will not wear a face mask. “You have to ask our police to be more strict,” he said to Año. “Hulihin talaga. If you are brought to a police station and detained there, that will give you a lesson for all time,”
Currently, there are no laws that penalize individuals for not wearing masks. “The police can tell individuals to wear masks. They can ask the individuals to go home and get their masks and put it on. Pero sa ngayon po it is just to encourage people to wear masks,” said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing yesterday.
“Antayin po natin ang ordinansa dahil kinakailangan nating malaman kung ano ’yung magiging parusa doon sa mga hindi magsusuot ng mask sa publiko,” Roque added.
The DILG reiterates the importance of wearing face masks and physical distancing. “We would like to implement these standards. If we can do that, we can prevent further spread of COVID-19,” Año said.
Header photo courtesy of Edwin Bacasmas from Inquirer.net
Get more stories like this by subscribing to our weekly newsletter here.
Read more:
FDA doesn’t advise using face masks with valves. Here’s why
Face masks (alone) can’t save you and it’s also killing the environment