Cebu City mayor says mandatory quarantine is not illegal detention

CEBU CITY, Philippine — Cebu City Mayor Labella said that mandatory quarantine for all people coming from areas in China issued with a travel ban is lawful and cannot be considered illegal detention. 

This after he received reports of Taiwanese nationals complaining on the quarantine claiming they would file a case of illegal detention. 

The mayor said the Taiwanese may file a case, but it will also fall upon them to prove that they were illegally detained. 

Labella said mandatory quarantine cannot be considered illegal because it is a health protocol to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). 

The 14-day quarantine is a precautionary measure implemented in line with the directive of the Department of Health, a protocol that needs to be followed to all Persons under monitoring (PUI) which include all travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. 

“Illegal detention is if you detain a person without any valid and lawful cause, but even in the constitution, the health of the constituents is of paramount concern. That is the basis of the local government units to protect its people,” said Labella. 

The mayor, who is a lawyer and former Ombudsman, said that the government cannot be held liable for a health quarantine because the situation calls for it to protect the public. 

“I don’t think that a case of illegal detention would prosper. They can file a case but filing a case is one thing, proving it is another,” he said. /bmjo