President Rodrigo Duterte asked the human rights advocates to tone down and avoid giving reasons to the public to argue with the police officials and soldiers who are enforcing the community quarantine in Metro Manila.
During the televised address Monday, Duterte said that it’s better to avoid encouraging the people to assert their rights especially during times of crisis.
“They go to the opposite side, sinasabing ‘yung mga pulis hindi kayo maaresto’ you know, you don’t have to say that eh you encourage people to assert something na kunting bagay lang makikipag away sa pulis,” Duterte said.
While it’s correct that police and soldiers cannot put any citizens under their custody, the President reminded the public that there’s a limit on having arguments with law enforcers.
“When you advised to go home and you grapple with the police with words and ultimately it comes to dalhin sa estasyon for a public disturbance or disobedience to lawful authority, pwede ka talagang dalhin sa estasyon,” the President said.
According to President Duterte, it’s fine for the public to be reminded about their rights during “ordinary times” but not during the times of crisis.
“Just to be heard, para lang marinig ka ng tao o makisawsaw ka, ayaw mo magpa iwan sa mga issue so gusto mong sumali rin para marinig ka na ‘o meron akong contribution’ wag mong ganunin ang tao, just say ‘obey’, o kapag sinabi mo na hindi ka pwedeng hulihin and then you are advised and you become a hot heat makipag tulakan ka sa pulis,” he said.
“May mga tao talaga na ayaw magpahuli, alam ng mga tao na bright kayo alam ninyo na bright kayo, mga tao lang pati kayo, hindi kami kasali, you seem to give a side comment that is not needed,” he added.
Duterte then insisted that the people should follow the government and not other people because only the executive department is tasked to handle the COVID-19 outbreak and not the critics of the government.
“Better that if you give an order, make it milder and more acceptable and not cause parang maiirita yung mga pulis at mga military,” Duterte said.
“Remember, this is an emergency, during an emergency tumabi kayong lahat and give it to the people who are responsible for protecting the country,” he added.
It can be remembered that defeated senatorial candidate Chel Diokno reminded the public that the cops cannot put them under their custody if they tried to disobey the community quarantine measures in Metro Manila.
“Pwede ka nilang harangin at papasukin, na tama lang naman kung kailangan,” Diokno said who’s reacting to a statement of NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas.