Anyone in Nueva Ecija who will harass or discriminate against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients or frontliners will face criminal liabilities.
The provincial board, on the request of Governor Aurelio Umali, enacted recently Ordinance 30-s-2020, a measure to protect people with COVID-19, those under investigation or monitoring, as well as doctors, nurses, health workers, and volunteers/workers, from harassment and discrimination.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to commit any act or make utterances which may cause stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, harassment or otherwise discriminating against a person infected with COVID-19, PUI or PUM or against a health worker or frontliner.”
“It shall be unlawful for any person whether natural or juridical to commit any act or make utterances which may cause stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, harassment or otherwise discriminating against a person infected with COVID-19 or those under investigation (PUI) or monitoring (PUM) for the disease or against a health worker or front-liner,” Section 3 of the ordinance read.
The measure also penalizes refusal or failure of any public officer to assist any Covid-19 patient, PUI, PUM, or to any health worker or front-liner “who intends to return his/her place of residence after obtaining clearance from proper health officials.”
The measure imposes a penalty of P5,000 and/or imprisonment of not exceeding six years.
The measure was passed amid reports that several front-liners have been harassed and discriminated in different parts of the country, including Nueva Ecija.
“Let us include in our prayers all who passed away, all patients, all front-liners, all Novo Ecijanos and everyone who offered their time and resources,” Vice Governor Emmanuel Antonio Umali said.