Año says Anakpawis members released after posting bail

April 23, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday said  members of the Anakpawis were released from detention after they were arrested for violating the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) when they went to Norzagaray, Bulacan to distribute relief goods to COVID-19 victims last April 19.

Año reiterated no one will be spared once they violate the ECQ guidelines set by the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the DILG.

"They were in violation of ECQ guidelines at the time when the entire country is struggling to contain the coronavirus to prevent further transmission. These kinds of violations were not only against the law but also a threat to the health of the people,” he said.

"Now that they have posted bail, we hope that they will not do it again because we will not hesitate to arrest them again,” he added.

The secretary said the six Anakpawis members and former Anakpawis party-list representative Ariel Casilao were released Wednesday night after posting bail amounting to P39,000 each for violation of RA 11332 and other laws while Casilao posted bail of P30,000 for Usurpation of Authority.

Año said Anakpawis members took advantage of the provision granted to food pass holders and violated physical distancing protocols with an attempt to organize mass gathering in the guise of relief efforts for the poor.

Upon inspection, numerous propaganda materials and banners were confiscated from the group.

“The Anakpawis incident was a clear demonstration of how food pass can be exploited for malicious intents in the guise of relief operation for the poor. The Department of Agriculture (DA) already said that you cannot use food pass for distributing relief goods,” he said.

In a statement Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar has clarified that food pass is a privilege given to producers, suppliers and truckers that procure and deliver agri-fishery commodities and other food products to and from Manila and other provinces during the observance of the ECQ and cannot be used for relief operations.

Following the Anakpawis incident, Año directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be vigilant and always be on the lookout for unauthorized usage of said pass in all checkpoints nationwide. Ella Dionisio/DMS