Walang double standard sa pagpapatupad ng quarantine laws – DOJ

MARIING pinabulaan ni Justice Secretrary Menardo Guevarra ang mga alegasyon na may double standard sa pagpapatupad ng pamahalaan sa quarantine laws sa gitna ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“I wouldn’t really say that there is inconsistent application of rule of law. It just so happened that a greater number of those arrested came from the lower-income groups simply because they are the ones who were caught on the streets and for that reason since they have been found, or at the time of their arrest, found violating certain quarantine rules and regulations,” ayon kay Guevarra sa isang pre-SONA forum briefing.

Maraming Filipino ang nagalit sa tinatawag na double standards sa pagpapatupad ng quarantine protocols dahil nakakalusot ang ilang opisyal ng pamahalaan sa kabila ng paglabag sa quarantine measures.

Partikular ito sa kaso ni Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III na napuna ng mga opisyal ng Makati Medical Center para sa pagpapahamak nito sa buhay ng mga medical frontliners nang magtungo ito sa ospital upang samahan ang kanyang asawa habang naka-quarantine at naghihintay ng resulta sa kanyang COVID-19 test.

Subalit iginiit ni Guevarra na ang naturang senador ay nahaharap na sa kaso.

“We know the celebrated case of one senator who the beginning was thought being given preferential or special treatment by law enforcement agencies as well as by the DOJ (Department of Justice) and we all know that is not true,”  ayon kay Guevarra.

Tinukoy niya rin ang ilang opisyales ng pulisya na sinasabing napatunayan o lumabag umano sa protocol o quarantine regulation ang sinampahan na ng reklamo sa prosecutor’s office.

“Its really a matter of perception because the greater number are people in lower-income levels which we call poor are usually apprehended for violations but it doesn’t mean at all that there is an unfair application of the law. We apply this as uniformly as possible,” ani ni Guevarra.