A CALL center agent was detained after he allegedly threatened to slap with a face mask the police officer manning a checkpoint on F. Llamas St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 2, 2020.
Labangon Police Station chief Capt. Jonathan Dela Cerna identified the suspect as Christopher Ian Ygonia, 44, a resident of Sitio Lapay, Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.
According to Dela Cerna, one of his subordinates, PSsgt. Junry Tagalog, asked Ygonia to wear a face mask when the latter passed by the checkpoint.
On April 1, Mayor Edgardo Labella issued Executive Order 66 which requires all the people in Cebu City, residents and non-residents alike, to wear protective masks when they are in public places within the jurisdiction of the city to prevent or reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The order mandates the Philippine National Police to go after the violators.
“If we will not discipline him, then that will only make stubborn people think that were taking this lightly. We only reminded him to wear a face mask for his own safety but he threatened us, instead,” Dela Cerna said in Cebuano.
In an interview with Superbalita Cebu, Ygonia admitted to telling Tagalog that he will slap him with a face mask but claimed that he only meant it as a “joke” because he did not like the tone of the police officer.
Ygonia will be facing charges for violating Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, disobedience in authoity or agent in such person, and Section 9 of RA 11332, or the the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. (BBT, RTF)