18,862 Face Mask Violators Caught, 904 Arrested After Duterte Order

Authorities caught 18,862 violators of face mask rules, 904 of whom were arrested, one week since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered strict enforcement, Interior Sec. Eduardo Ano said.

Some 9,000 others were warned while around 8,000 were fined, Ano said in a report to Duterte during his weekly "Talk to the People." The interior chief caught 5,473 violators of physical distancing rules and 280 others for holding mass gatherings.

Ano cited the closure of the Gubat sa Ciudad pool resort in Caloocan City, where photos of large crowds cooling down went viral over the weekend.

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan said earlier Monday he ordered a pool resort shut for hosting a gathering while the second highest quarantine is in effect. Those who attended will also face charges.

Malapitan said he received a tip about the "picnic" at the Gubat sa Ciudad. Attendees were mostly from neighboring Meycauayan, Bulacan, he said.

"Buong puwersa ng batas ang ipapataw sa mga may-ari at operator ng resort kasama na ang mga nag-swimming at ang mga pinuno ng barangay na tila nagpabaya sa kanilang tungkulin," Malapitan said in a Facebook post Sunday, after photos of people swimming at the resort circulated on social media.

Gubat sa Ciudad management, officials of Barangay 171, and guests caught swimming will be charged for violating COVID-19 health protocols, he said.

Caloocan and Meycauayan are both part of the NCR Plus Bubble where large public gatherings are banned until May 14.