CHR: No malice in parade of Silay quarantine violators

BY GLAZYL MASCULINO

BACOLOD CITY – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Occidental said that the parade of COVID-19 violators in Silay City was blown out of proportion when some described it as a “parade of zombies”.

Romeo Baldevarona, head of CHR-Negros, said they interviewed Police Major Rollie Pondevilla, chief of the Silay City Police Station, who told them that such activity was done in good faith.

The police station made headlines when a video showing 39 violators raising their arms forward while walking from the police station to the covered court was posted on Facebook. A seminar was later held to remind them about the strict observance of the health protocols amid the pandemic.

This caught the attention of the national CHR that pushed them to call for a probe.

Baldevarona said that the city police force has not anticipated that some have put malice on their action against the violators, who were caught not wearing face masks.

Baldevarona noted that it was good that the city police force conducted a seminar about the health protocols since some of them reportedly did not believe about the threat of COVID.

“It was a proper way of handling the situation,” he said. (Glazyl Masculino)