Officials pass blame over beach gathering
It’s not just the police who erred here. It was really hard on the part of the police, but we could not do anything. The community also needs to learn from what we did
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday stressed it will conduct investigations over the “mass gathering” that happened last Sunday when people converged to view the Manila Bay beach allegedly violating social distancing protocols,
In a television interview, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he will discuss with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu if other higher officials should be held liable over the failure to impose social distancing in the area over the weekend.
“I will discuss first with Secretary Cimatu on what other course of action we will take regarding this matter,” Año said. “We will also really check what went wrong, and for now, we will be looking into it.”
In the aftermath of the “mass gathering,” Ermita Police chief P/Lt. Col. Ariel Caramoan had been relieved from his post for failing to control the crowd of onlookers.
As this developed, DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda admitted they are not sure if the controversial beach nourishment project will be finished by the end of the year, considering the many delays that has hampered its completion.
In a phone interview, the DENR official said they were eyeing to finish the project by yearend, but this might not be possible due to the delays caused by those who are against it.
“We are targeting the end of the year, but I don’t know if we can make it, because a lot of hindrances have happened already. That’s why we are considering, we are studying how we can file a case against those who are criticizing this project because of the many delays that has happened because of them,” Antiporda said.
Meanwhile, P/Brig. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, Philippine National Police chief, said the public should be held just as accountable for the overcrowding at the Manila Bay beach which resulted in the obvious breach of health and safety protocols.
The problem is the preparation on how to enforce the minimum health standards despite the DENR and the local government of Manila getting permission for their two-day activity.
The throng of people overwhelmed the number of policemen deployed to the area to enforce safety measures, such as social distancing, after DENR invited the public to view the beach.
“I’d like to be frank. It’s not just the police who erred here. It was really hard on the part of the police, but we could not do anything. The community also needs to learn from what we did. You would probably point at our mistakes and tell us what we did wrong, but please, think of your mistakes, too,” Cascolan lamented during a press briefing in Camp Crame.
“Our policeman shouldn’t have been relieved from his post if we did our part and what was right,” he added.
Caramoan’s axing, the PNP chief stressed, must serve as a lesson, not just to ground commanders, but also the people.
“Let that be a lesson not only to the PNP but to all of us. COVID-19 is not the fight of the PNP alone. This is our battle,” he said.
Meanwhile, P/Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, National Capital Region Police Office director, said an investigation will be conducted to determine the level of Caramoan’s accountability and if others should also be penalized for the supposed oversight.
On the other hand, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has asked the DENR to temporarily close the bay area while it is still under construction to prevent people from trooping to the beach area.
“I already asked the DENR to close it while there is still an ongoing project,” Domagoso said.
“Of course, I understand people are excited to see the white sand, but let us not forget there is still COVID and we must stay safe. It is enough that we have seen it on TV, from pictures and in videos by bloggers. Let us set it aside for now, and we will try put order,” he explained.
Año stressed the authorities should have expected that a lot of people would visit the area after being stuck at home for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he noted there was lack of preparation in the opening of the beach.
“The problem is the preparation on how to enforce the minimum health standards despite the DENR and the local government of Manila getting permission for their two-day activity. The immediate agency that should have prepared would be the Philippine National Police,” he added.
The DILG chief stressed more policemen should have been deployed in the area, and that barriers should have been installed.