4 Manila village execs face raps for detaining PUM

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Police District (MPD) on Friday arrested four barangay officials for detaining a person under monitoring (PUM) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in his house in Sampaloc.

Barangay 538 Zone 53 councilors Bobby Biason, Marvin Simbahan, watchmen Epifanio Rempis and Jesus dela Cruz, and barangay ex-o Ferdinand Gatdula will face charges of violating the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act, arbitrary detention and violation of the city ordinance against discrimination. Dela Cruz remains at large.

The barangay officials were arrested after the complainant, a deliveryman for a dialysis center, reported the incident to the city hall COVID-19 hotline, MPD Special Mayor’s Reaction Team chief Major Rosalino Ibay Jr. said.

The barangay officials boarded up and padlocked the residence of the complainant on Wednesday, Ibay said.

They were arrested Friday after they again tried to prevent the complainant from leaving his house to get his swab test results.

He turned out to be negative after he was exposed to a COVID-positive patient.

“The barangay officials overreacted by locking him up. He was an essential worker delivering food to dialysis patients,” Ibay said.

Four minors – ages three, ten, twelve, and sixteen – were detained in the house along with the complainant, according to Ibay.