TOP PARTNERS. Brig. Gen. Manuel Manalo Abu (left), director of the Police Regional Office - Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, paid a courtesy visit to Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon (right), commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, on Tuesday (March 31, 2020) for continuing police-Army efforts to help contain the spread of Covid-19 in Central Mindanao through their composite checkpoints. The two officials pledged to uphold human rights in their duty to maintain peace and order during the prevailing crisis brought by the deadly disease. (Photo courtesy of PRO-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY – The newly installed director of the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) has assured that the police would respect human rights in the implementation of measures to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a statement released on Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Manuel Manalo Abu said the public need not fear because the rule of law is being sustained in all BARMM police operations.
“The public has nothing to worry while we, together with local government units, implement enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) because your basic rights will always be respected,” Abu said, appealing to the public to comply with procedures when passing by ECQ checkpoints.
He reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte's state of public health emergency in the country and the enhanced community quarantine being implemented by the police and military is not martial law.
Abu urged the public to report to his office any abusive police personnel in the region, especially during the conduct of Covid-19 measures.
He said existing restrictions imposed by the government, such as social distancing and home quarantine, are "neither arbitrary nor discriminatory in application, as it is of limited duration and proportionate to achieve the objective of preventing the spread of the deadly virus."
Moreover, Abu pledged to pursue purveyors of fake news as they endanger public order and cause panic in the community during this time of national emergency caused by Covid-19. (PNA)
