BY ARGYLL GEDUCOS * GENALYN KABILING
President Duterte called on the medical frontliners to stretch their patience in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as he approved on Sunday the recommendation of the Department of Health (DoH) to place Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under the modified enhanced community quarantine again (MECQ) for 15 days from August 4 to 18.
Duterte made the move after the medical community appealed to revert Mega Manila–which includes the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, and Calabarzon – to ECQ as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to rise.
In his late-night public address aired Sunday, Duterte approved the recommendation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to place the said areas under stricter quarantine measures.
“Ngayon magsabi kayo i-lockdown mo na ang Maynila at ang ibang lugar sa Pilipinas para wala na mahawa. The problem is wala na tayong pera (You keep on telling me to place Manila and other places in the Philippines under lockdown so there will be no more transmission. The problem is we have no more money). I cannot give any more food and money to the people,” he said.
Duterte said he understood that health workers are now “bone-weary” from the ongoing fight against the pandemic but reminded them that they are the ones who are trained to fight disease.
“This is a profession that you, all of you, and all who are educated and trained to face such challenges, you are frontliners in this battle because you are learned in this field,” he said.
“Kung bayaan natin, kung walang tutulong sa bansa at mga kababayan natin, sino ang maasahan ko? Sino ang maasahan natin na gumawa ng trabahong ito (If we’ll do nothing to help the country and our people, who can I rely on to do this job)?” he added.
The President likewise encouraged them to not lose hope.
“‘Wag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa (Do not lose hope). You stretch your patience, and—not endurance because you can only take so much—your fervor na ikaw ay isang medical na tao at tiwala kami sa inyong kakayahan (because you are in medicine and we believe in your abilities),” he said.
The President, however, resented them for going public with their appeal and expression of frustration because they made it appear that they were ready to stop working if their calls were not heard.
“You raise the spectacle of your agony and you treat it as if you’re about ready to stop work. ‘Wag naman ganoon kasi kawawa ang mga kababayan, Sino ang maasahan ngayon (Do not do that because it will be unfortunate for our people. Who can we turn to then)?” Duterte said.
He said they could have just written him a letter or ask for an audience instead of telling officials what to do because the government is “actually not inutile.”
“But to go almost on a–not really a rampage–but an outrage, parang galit, ‘wag naman ganoon kasi alam naman ninyo nagtatrabaho kaming lahat,” he said.
“Kung ‘yan lang ang makaya ng pera natin, eh ‘di hanggang diyan lang tayo. Hindi naman kami inabutan nakaupo lang diyan, nandiyan ang pera, hindi naman pinapagalaw (We have limited funds. We’re not just sitting on the money). Everybody’s trying,” he added.
“Lahat naman ng mga gusto niyo sinusunod namin. You know, it’s the resources. Ang pera. May gusto kayong bilhin ko, ang problema ang bulsa ko butas na ‘yung isa dahil (The money. You want me to buy some things but the problem is my pockets are empty because) we have suffered economically,” he explained.
Duterte even dared the medical frontliners to stage a revolution if they think it is the answer to the problem.
“Ang COVID-19 nandiyan, walang may kasalanan. Ni ikaw wala kang solution, eh. What are you babbling about? What’s the solution?” he said.
“Kung magrebolusyon kayo, you will give me a free ticket to stage a counter-revolution,” he added.
“Do not try to demean the government. Instead, you just go ahead [and revolt]. Bayan man natin ito. Gusto niyo sirain natin (After all this is our country. We can even destroy it if you want),” he continued.
Duterte also maintained that the government is “not inutile” in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, citing plans to provide additional benefits for health frontliners.
He urged Congress to include more benefits for workers such as free and frequent testing, life insurance, and free transportation and accommodation in the proposed Bayanihan 2 law.
He likewise approved the proposal to provide P15,000 to health workers who has mild coronavirus infection. (Argyll Geducos & Genalyn Kabiling)
