BY AARON RECUENCO
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield urged journalists Saturday not to provide media exposure to personalities who openly defy the quarantine rules in an apparent swipe at lawyer Larry Gadon who repeatedly questioned the government’s regulation for people to observe minimum health safety standard protocol like wearing face masks and face shields amid the threat of COVID-19.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the JTF COVID Shield, said irresponsible statements that go against the rules crafted by the National Task Force on COVID-19 and being enforced by the JTF COVID Shield are making it difficult for the government to effectively fight the spread of the coronavirus.
“We ask our friends in the media to help us in this fight by minding their own protection from hard-headed people they interview — either you remind them to observe the minimum health safety standard or refuse to interview them,” said Eleazar.
“Better yet, report them to us. In this way, we will be able to send a strong message that the rule of law especially in this time of pandemic must prevail,” he added.
Gadon, who is known for calling his critics “bobo” (dumb), went viral in the social media over a photo showing his “peculiar” way of using face mask and face shield. Instead of wearing the face mask, he was shown in the photo with the face mask attached to the face shield.
He explained his position that he does not believe that the wearing of face mask and face shield would prevent transmission of the coronavirus, despite scientific findings that contradict his position.
Gadon was later seen being interviewed with neither a face mask nor a face shield.
Eleazar said the strict implementation of quarantine rules, that include the wearing of face masks, has been proven effective in containing the spread of the coronavirus, the recent proof was the case of Cebu City wherein the government intervention led to the decline of the virus transmission.
“Regardless of any belief or point of view regarding the COVID-19, the minimum health safety standard protocol must always be observed by everybody because this is part of the law that was crafted in consultation with credible health experts,” said Eleazar.
“Any opposing action or view will be considered an act of defiance and will be treated as a violation of the existing laws, and will be dealt with similar to the more than 348,000 that we have accosted so far since March 17,” he added.
Eleazar said that he had already coordinated with national police chief Police Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa for the investigation of Gadon’s defiance of the quarantine rules.
“The existing laws and ordinances being implemented for public health must not be ignored or challenged because we in the Joint Task Force COVID Shield will hold our ground and enforce the mandate entrusted to us by the government through the National Task Force on COVID-19,” said Eleazar. (Aaron Recuenco)
