(Eagle News) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged violation of quarantine protocols during a recent gathering at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
In a statement, the PNP said the Inspector General of the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service has been instructed by PNP Chief Archie Gamboa to initiate a formal inquiry into the incident.
It referred to media reports on a recent gathering at the NCRPO, where protocols and physical distancing and mass gathering were allegedly overlooked.
“The PNP is not exempt from strict rules on mass gathering and I am directing all unit commanders to prohibit any and all unit commanders to prohibit any and all social gatherings”, the PNP statement said.
In a press briefing held in Malacañang on Wednesday, May 13, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said he is leaving it to the PNP to conduct an investigation on the incident.
“Now I leave it to the Philippine National Police to conduct an investigation kung mayroon ba talagang naganap na violations ng mga quarantine guidelines (Now I leave it to the Philippine National Police to conduct an investigation whether there have been violations of quarantine guidelines)”, Año said.
In response to a query made by a member of the media, Año said that the NCRPO gathering was a “mañanita,” or a tradition in the military and police where key officials greet their commander on his birthday on the break of dawn.
“So ganun ang nangyari dun, hindi talaga siya party. Kaya lang sa panahon ngayon, that is uncalled for. Sabi ko nga, mayroon tayong tinatawag na delicadeza, so stop muna yung mga ganyan (So that it what happened there, it was not really a party. But, during these times, that is uncalled for. As I said, we have what we call delicadeza, so those kinds of gatherings must stop)”, Año said.
“Titingnan natin kung ano ung magiging appropriate sanction kung anong resulta ng investigation (We will see what the appropriate sanction will be depending on the result of the investigation)”, the DILG secretary added.
Eagle News Service
