The recent easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila came with a “uniform” 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that was announced by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque without much-needed clarity and guidance.
We can acknowledge the use of such curfew orders from panicky officials scrambling to contain surging Covid cases in the NCR, but Roque did not even bother to mention if there were any exceptions, say for emergencies, essential workers and essential travel—whatever these mean nowadays in the ever-fluctuating government rules handed down to citizens, many of whom are trying desperately to eke out a living during this pandemic.
Roque also made no mention about the specific penalties for violating this so-called uniform curfew. Would it be treated as a misdemeanor? Would it involve a mere citation, fine or jail time? Would the police take a compassionate, commonsense approach to its enforcement?
These things need to be defined clearly and succinctly, because when law enforcers or even barangay officials are given discretion in applying the rules, we have seen many instances of common citizens suffering from discrimination, the use of excessive force and human rights violations.
The murder of a 15-year-old girl in Ilocos Sur started from a curfew violation. Two cops accosted the victim and her cousin for being out at night, past curfew. They detained the girls then raped them. One of the girls managed to escape and filed a complaint against the cops but was killed on her way home.
We’ve also seen a barangay official locking a group of curfew violators in a dog cage and posting a photo of it on Facebook.
Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents during the pandemic, which is why you cannot blame people for having certain concerns about curfew policies, especially in the current environment when many policemen, instead of protecting the people they are sworn to serve, are actually the ones being imminent threats and menaces to them.
It’s important for officials to provide clear communication about curfews, precisely because they are often inequitably enforced, often targeting young people and poor residents.
For instance, Roque in his announcement said Manila, Muntinlupa, and Pasig were exempt from the curfew because their local governments needed to amend their respective ordinances first. And yet residents in these cities are already hearing curfew orders blaring from the megaphones of barangay officials, telling them in Filipino “It’s 8 P.M.! Do not go out!” or making other similar announcements.
Confusion and concern are also swirling among workers in certain industries who should be exempted from the curfew, all this because information about the rules are released in patchwork fashion, if at all.
John Forbes, senior adviser of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, said there has to be an exemption for workers who work at night.
The curfew would, of course, impact the BPO industry, the largest private employer in the country, with about 1.3 million employees, most of whom work in night shifts according to overseas time.
Aside from BPO workers, curfew exemptions are also needed for healthcare personnel, of course, as well as logistics and transport workers handling essential items like farm goods, pharmaceutical products, medical supplies and equipment, fuel and relief goods. Other exemptions should include journalists who work round-the-clock, people traveling to or from airports with necessary documents and those who have to leave the house on an emergency basis.
Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) Chairman Richard Sanz, noted that an 8 p.m. curfew may be too restrictive for food establishments and restaurants. He said: “It forces stores to close very early at 6 p.m. considering store closing/cleaning procedures and travel time of employees going back to their homes. We hope that this can be amended to 10 p.m. to allow food businesses to serve dinner and maximize sales for the day to cover for the higher-than-normal overhead expenses during this time of pandemic. Extending the curfew to 10 p.m. will be a big help for all businesses, many of which are on the verge of folding up, but provided that all health and safety protocols and precautions are in place.”
A curfew extension should also be considered for the thousands of NCR workers who go home to nearby provinces every day.
But we dare ask, why impose a curfew at all? Shutting most everything down earlier means more people going out to buy necessities and do errands together during the daytime. Why foreclose that option of having a nighttime consumer population to diminish daytime crowds and also help businesses?
For as long as people practice social distancing, wear masks and face shields, who cares if they go out at night or during the day? Anyway the virus is just as virulent day or night.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano