INDEED it is not the lack of means and procedures that the government is somehow having a hard time controlling the infection of the deadly CoronaVirus Disease in the country. The real culprit is the behavior of the Filipinos and our penchant to take shelter in whatever we do under the umbrella of our constitutionally guaranteed human rights, even doing things expressly prohibited by law or by some issuances of government.
Take the case of that unfortunate policeman in Monkayo, Davao de Oro who was already off-duty and was on his way home. The guy happened to pass by a person who was outside his residence while the curfew hours were already in effect. When the policeman called the attention of the curfew violator and advised him to go home, the violator, instead of complying, attacked with a bladed weapon the policeman without any semblance of warning. As of this writing the fate of the police officer was not yet certain at the hospital.
Imagine, imposing a curfew to prevent people from getting outside of residence during night time so the cases of close interactions will be limited to the maximum but then such an important tact of government for a very laudable purpose just being ignored?
And how many times has such blatant violation of health protocols been done even under the very noses of authorities tasked to implement the same? Street boxing, pool parties, and even other forms of celebrations have become venues for such kinds of violations in the name of human freedom that supposedly cannot be abridged.
Yet, we love to chastise to the maximum our government for its alleged failure to curb the rising cases of new COVID infection. Our take is that the effective implementation of the various measures adopted by the authorities to arrest the surging cases of the virus infection is clearly a “shared responsibility.” That is, between the government and the people themselves. Should any one renege on his or its responsibility, the reneging party should not pass on the blame to the other party.
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Again, it is a given that should there be any misinformation attendant to any effort undertaken for a particular purpose it will likely derail the realization of whatever objective being intended.
We are referring to earlier talks being peddled around that should there be no substantial reduction in the number of new CoViD infections in Davao City after the end of the month the local authorities are considering placing the city back to the most stringent state of quarantine – Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) level. These earlier reports are sending chills on the spines of most Davao businessmen, small and big, because such a move will not just cripple them further but send them to the gallows of bankruptcy. And as a consequence, it will also smother even many under the opportunity of the ordinary people to earn a living which already is denied them under the present situation.
But there is cause for everyone to heave a sigh of relief. The other day Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was emphatic in denying to the public that the same talks, or rumors if anyone wishes to call it that way, were ever discussed in any of the meetings of the local IATF. In other words, there is still no pending recommendation for the adoption of such a rigid measure, the ECQ, for Davao City.
Our own sources however, are known to be part of an insider group in the circle of the mayor. Hence, there was enough reason to take their words as close to the truth. But of course with the mayor denying such possibility we can only wish that what many are afraid of would not happen at all. It would perhaps be a different story if the cases will continue to rise even after the end of June when the term for the extended MECQ expires.
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As we had always been postulating in this space, the tact of the administration to float as many names possible as its potential standard bearers in the forthcoming May 2022 national elections could just be a strategy to deviate the opposition trolls in their vicious attacks. Look at what is happening now, from the President himself the incessant demolition job is heaped on such known personalities with inkling to the top two positions in the country as Presidential Daughter Mayor Sara, Senators Grace Poe and Manny Pacquiao, Gilbert Teodoro, Senators Ping Lacson, Tito Sotto and Richard Gordon, and Mark Villar and former Sen. Bongbong Marcos. Poe was earlier included as one of 1Bayan potential nominees for either the Presidency or Vice Presidency. But the trolls somehow are sparing Nancy Binay and Bro. Eddie Villanueva, two other 1Bayan invitees.
Our hunch is that one or two from those mentioned herein could be “they” for the administration. Or, maybe, there are “outsiders” whose names are still closely guarded to spare them from any advance opposition attack. Politics in the country always has something up on its sleeves. In the next four months we will finally know.
