Deadline for probe on Roque, Pacquiao ‘quarantine violations’ set

General Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has ordered the regional commanders that have jurisdiction over Cebu and Batangas to submit next week the result of their investigation on the alleged violation of quarantine protocols of presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

As soon as he receives the results of the investigation and the recommendation, Sinas said he would immediately forward them to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who is also the vice chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

“I gave them the deadline until Monday next week to forward the results of their investigation so that we would know the recommendation,” said Sinas in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

Roque was accused of violating quarantine protocols, especially on physical distancing, when he attended and spoke in front of a large crowd in Cebu. A few weeks ago, he was also accused of violating quarantine rules when he engaged in a videoke session in Baguio City.

Roque, a former professor of the University of the Philippines College of Law before he was appointed as presidential spokesman, defended himself against criticisms and pointed to Vice President Leni Robredo as a violator of quarantine rules herself when she was visiting typhoon affected areas in various areas in Luzon.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, was also called out in the social media for attending an event in Batangas where he distributed relief and early Christmas gi s to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.

In a statement, the camp of Pacquiao denied the allegation and said they are ready to face any investigation.

The regional directors of Central Visayas and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) were the ones assigned to conduct the investigation involving Roque and Pacquiao.