Newly-appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar warned that they will arrest individuals who will not follow the minimum health protocols, especially the mandatory wearing of face masks.

"We are appealing to your sense of maturity ... for the sake of yourself, your family and your communities, but to those who will not listen to our call to wear face mask and to follow the minimum health protocol, I am telling you, our police authorities will arrest you," Eleazar said during the PNP Change of Command ceremony on Friday.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said "the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) together with the Philippine National Police are prepared to immediately implement the directive of the President to apprehend individuals who will be caught not properly wearing a face mask or face shield."

"In order to sustain the decline in COVID-19 cases across the country, authorities must strictly implement and enforce all minimum health standards and protocols especially the proper wearing of face masks and face shields and the strict enforcement of curfew hours," he said.

However, Ano said he has "instructed the Philippine National Police that the apprehension of violators shall always be in accordance with law and local ordinances where violators will be warned and instructed by police and local authorities to wear the face mask or face shield properly."

"If the individual will defy or refuses to comply, arrests may be made by the police in order to protect public health and safety. In the absence of a local ordinance, violators will be detained for a maximum of 12 hours and will be released if no charges have been filed as provided in the Revised Penal Code," he said.

The DILG chief said if detention is necessary, he have directed Lt.Gen Joselito Veracruz of JTF COVID Shield to instruct police stations across the country to prepare detention areas that do not violate minimum health standards.

"They shall coordinate with the barangay and the LGUs so that additional facilities outside of police stations maybe utilized for this purpose to prevent crowding and mass gatherings," he said. Robina Asido/DMS