By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

PHOTO: UNTV/NCRPO

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday revealed that noncompliance to wearing of face mask is consistently the top violation of the minimum public health standards committed by Filipinos. 

"Based on data shown, the violation of non-wearing of face masks is consistently the number one violation committed by the public," PNP Chief Police General Debold Sinas—who is accused of violating COVID-19 health rules himself, last year and earlier this month—announced during the national address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday.

A chart of recorded violations from August 20, 2020 to March 23 this year, noncompliance on wearing of the mask was the top violation nationwide every month, except for September 2020, when there were 112,587 mask violations compared to 118,021 social distancing violations.

In the Metro Manila data, the number of mask violations compared to other violations was even more stark, peaking in November 2020, with 33,354 instances. It also consistently dominated the list of public health rules violations except in February 2021, when not wearing face shields topped the list with 15,584 violators.

In the past seven months, the PNP recorded a total of 1,503,273 violations of minimum public health standards nationwide, including failing to wear face masks and not observing physical distancing. 

In a Pulse Asia survey published last January, 66 percent said they wear face masks and 22 percent said they wear face shields to prevent getting infected.


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