The sheer number of curfew violators would overload the city’s jail facilities.
Alex Roldan, Department of Interior and Local Government XI regional director, said that the detention cells of the city are already congested enough as it is. Putting curfew violators in jail at this time would not be a sensible decision.
That is the reason they recommend that the curfew violators should be sent home instead after being booked. They will still be held accountable after the health crisis.
“At this point in time, we have things to prioritize and there are things we can delay for a little bit,” he said, adding that the pandemic has also affected the jail operations.
Once the situation normalizes, the curfew violators will answer for their offenses.
As of December 31, 2019, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Davao Region (BJMP-Davao) recorded a total of 4,463 inmates, which exceeded its capacity of 1,191.
Mayor Sara Duterte, in an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio on Wednesday revealed that they have suspended the conducted of inquest proceedings involving the apprehended violators.
“As of now, due to the surge of people caught violating the currfew hours, we suspended the inquest. We will just get their details then release them until we can file charges against them in a regular filing system,” she said.
The Regional Task Force for COVID-19 has imposed regionwide curfew hours from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. to ensure that no one goes out of their houses during late night.
The City Council then passed an ordinance institutionalizing the task force’s recommendation. Violators will face a fine of 3,000 for the first offense and 5,000 or imprisonment of not more than a year for the succeeding offenses.
