Judge Yvonne Artiaga threatened to cite for contempt of court anyone she catches playing Pokemon Go in her chamber, saying she does not want case proceedings interrupted by those playing the game.
“I would like to inform those attending the court proceedings that playing Pokemon inside my chamber is prohibited,” she said.
Artiaga, the presiding judge of the Branch 3 of the Municipal Trial Courts in Cebu City, posted notes of her warning inside and outside her courtroom, photos of which have gone viral online.
“Under pain of contempt, Pokemon catching inside the court is strictly prohibited. Justice may be blind but it can see Pokemon catchers. Violators will face fine and imprisonment,” the warning posted inside her courtroom stated.
LOOK: MTCC Judge Yvonne Artiaga prohibits playing of Pokemon Go inside her courtroom | via Alan Domingo of GMA7 Cebu a8v4BilDKN
— The Freeman (@TheFreemanNews) August 11, 2016
The outside warning says: “Lawyers and litigants: There is no Pokemon in my chamber. I will use to the full extent my contempt power for any Pokemon-related disturbance. Knock at your own risk.”
The judge, who is imposing imprisonment and a fine ranging from 500 pesos ($10.5) to 1,000 pesos ($21) on violators aside from the confiscation of their mobile phones, advised players to be responsible. But she clarified that she is not against the Pokemon Go game.
No PokemonGo in MTCC Branch 3, Cebu City. Judge Yvonne Artiaga will put players in jail. | feanneperez lzMqY6pwZh
— TVP Central Visayas (@TVPCV) August 11, 2016
“Our sessions here are formal and we don’t want to interrupt the proceedings of the court because of this Pokemon,” she said, citing a recent incident in which she was distracted by a court visitor who was making gestures like he was playing the popular mobile game.
Artiaga’s warning comes less than a week after Pokemon Go arrived in the Philippines and in 14 other countries across Asia-Pacific, including Taiwan where some 1,210 drivers have been caught violating traffic rules while playing the game.
On Friday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) issued safety tips to Pokemon Go enthusiasts to prevent them from falling prey to criminals.
Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, chief of the PNP-Police Community Relations Group, reminded players to “avoid playing Pokemon Go in areas where there are many people because you might hurt someone since you’re focused on your cellphone and not on the road.”
“They should focus on their surroundings and not on their phones. A crime can occur when a person loses his awareness. If his attention is on his phone, chances are he will lose the gadget to robbers,” he added.
The council of the neighboring city of Mandaue also approved a resolution warning motorists against playing the popular mobile game while driving.
