The National Union of People’s Lawyers, in its statement dated July 14, lambasted the so-called Oplan Kalinga of the Duterte government which allows for the Philippine National Police to go house-to-house to find persons with none to mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
According to the NUPL, the move further reveals the “Duterte government’s continuing reliance on police and militaristic approaches to solve a public health emergency.”
The NUPL expressed grave concern on yet another license for police authorities to abuse power and commit human rights violations.
“With a government that has emboldened its own uniformed personnel to violate human rights with impunity, how can we be sure that the police will not abuse this new power to intrude into the privacy of our homes and encroach upon our liberties, targeting those who have been vocal with their grievances and criticisms of the government’s callous neglect of the people’s livelihood, health and lives? “, said NUPL.
Read the full statement below:
NUPL: PNP’s house-to-house is not the “kalinga” that the people need in this pandemic
The Philippine government has empowered the Philippine National Police to go house-to-house to find persons with mild COVID-19 symptoms or who are asymptomatic under the so-called Oplan Kalinga.
Saying home quarantine has been prone to abuse, the PNP will escort those who will not be able to comply with the three requirements of home quarantine—own room, own bathroom, and not living with elderly or pregnant persons—to isolation facilities.
This move reveals the Duterte government’s continuing reliance on police and militaristic approaches to solve a public health emergency.
Although we are calling on the government to apply the find, test, treat and isolate strategy, arming law enforcers with another tool to sow fear in our communities is worrying and disturbing.
With a government that has emboldened its own uniformed personnel to violate human rights with impunity, how can we be sure that the police will not abuse this new power to intrude into the privacy of our homes and encroach upon our liberties, targeting those who have been vocal with their grievances and criticisms of the government’s callous neglect of the people’s livelihood, health and lives?
In reality, what is prone to abuse is not home quarantine but this unnecessary power of the police to conduct home visitations.#
