An Iron Fist

AS an aftermath of the chaos resulting in the arrest of several individuals in Bagong Pag asa in Quezon City because of a confusion resulting to the mayhem it created, the President, in his usual rogue and thuggish style, said that he is not afraid to have a strong stance against the perpetrators of any move to destabilize the government  to the point of ordering the police and army to shoot if need be.   A lot of

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March 2, 2020

What is frightening is that the police, given an authority to fire at will, can look for his enemy and kill his foe. alleging that he  was causing something that would disturb the peace.  Or someone whose actions can be misconstrued as violative even when there was no intention to can be killed just like that. Our president should understand that people who are hungry and lost will hold on to anything just to survive. He should understand that his threats of violence did not work for drug syndicates but only made it worse. But I am beginning to doubt if he has any intelligent ways to stop drugs which he promised to quell in six months much more a virus which does not respect anybody no matter how sound the solution is. Why does he not concentrate on the officials who do not deliver as they are ordered to do and are tainted with corruption instead?

Mayor Vico Sotto

My family and the rest of the residents of Pasig are lucky.  We have a well-meaning, intelligent Mayor who, from day 1 has risen to the occasion to help his constituents survive the present crisis.  During the early part of the quarantine, he made an appeal to the authorities to at least allow tricycles, to ferry the sick and/or health workers to and from the hospital.  This was frowned upon as it is contrary to the measures of the quarantine.  I believe so.  The good mayor followed.  Instead, he has deployed city vehicles to do the task and has initiated a mobile market that will go to the buyers instead of them going to the market.  

We were dismayed one night when the evening news reported that the National Bureau of Investigation is asking the Mayor to answer their query and face investigation of a possible violation of the quarantine measures of the government.

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April 1, 2020

To the NBI thinking that my mayor might have violated any of the orders of the national government, don't waste your time. He did not. If you are basing this on his plea to allow the use of tricycles to ferry the sick and/or health workers, he did not when he was not allowed. I am a witness that no tricycles are plying the streets of  Pasig. Again, it was an appeal that did not materialize because it was not allowed. Besides, even if, for the sake of argument that an appeal is already punishable, it was made prior to the emergency powers, hence mayors exercised independence from any member of the executive branch as mandated by law as the President exercises only the power of supervision and not control. A law cannot be retroactive unless it favors the accused. That is very basic. So, to the NBI, I suggest you guys focus on something more productive and let our good mayor do his job, hoping you'd do yours just as effectively. Stop politicizing, please.

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In a later development, Vice President Leni Robredo is also being asked by the PACC to explain her actions.  She, too, have been working hard to help in the fight against the virus.  I cannot understand  why they are after those who seem to be doing the right thing except that someone or some group are out to destroy these two for they have been being overshadowed.  

Both agencies would later on deny that the two are being investigated.  My foot!  

President's Report

To help curb the pandemic, Congress has passed a resolution granting the President emergency powers that included a Php275 billion emergency fund.   That is fine until the Senate President said there is no pressure on the President to  make a weekly report.  Number 27 of the emergency powers state:

27. Report to Congress the amounts, realignment of funds every Monday of the week. (haha gudlak sa gagawa 

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The Senate President said that

there is no pressure on Duterte to make a weekly report as stated on the emergency powers the people have granted him. This is absurd. Congress put that in place so that the people would know how the huge amount of money is being dispensed with and how the President is exercising his ]added powers. among others. It is called accountability. If no less than the Senate President see its importance of having to follow the law, how can we expect the people to follow? It seems like are definitely doomed.

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Come to think about it, nothing intelligent has ever come out from the mouth of this Senator. 

Quarantine

The country was devastated and angered when the St. Luke's Hospital issued a letter denouncing Sen. Koko Pimentel of having breached his quarantine period to accompany his pregnant wife to the hospital. Just like any other, I was enraged knowing how the President gave the order to  everyone to stay home. I was even angered when the results finally came in showing that the senator tested positive. 

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March 25, 2020

The irresponsible action of going to the hospital knowing that he is a PUI and is just awaiting the results, he has endangered contaminating a lot of people including our frontliners who are now dwindling in number, plus an aggravating circumstance of high knowledge and stature, he should be held criminally liable. Especially now that he tested positive. Unless Covid 19 decreases one's common sense.

A Pandemic Wreaks Havoc.

The SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome appeared in China in 2003 had put a wild scare throughout the world, including the Philippines. Luckily, it seemed to have died a natural death after a month or so after having claimed several lives. The virus  appeared once again in another form and a second outbreak emerged in 2013 known as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS- Cov that put Saudi Arabia to its knees. Once again, we were lucky as it did not come to our shores.   However, both epidemics are nothing compared to the most recent phenomenon, the SARS Cov 2 more popularly known as the COVID-19 that originated in Wuhan, China and spreading like wildfire into at least 70 countries until the World Health Organization had to declare it a pandemic.  Most hit were China, Italy and the United States among others.  The death toll worldwide is staggering. Most countries, including the Philippines, had no other recourse but to declare a community quarantine, a euphemism for a lockdown to flatten the curve. 

This lockdown is proving to be disastrous to the economy.  In the country alone, there is concern about supplies in both food, alcohol and other amenities.  Hopefully, this solution becomes a success eventually or we may come into an inglorious conclusion of having to result to chaos and anarchy because people are desperate and have to fight for their survival.  Just a few days ago, there was disorder in Quezon City because the people were anticipating help coming from the local government unit which has not been coming and they were already hungry.

We are now down to the third week of the lockdown and still, the numbers of afflicted people keep on growing proving that the lockdown is not yet doing what it is supposed to do.  About eight or so doctors have died fighting the disease.  It is imperative that a solution to combat this unseen nemesis be put to a stop before we run out of hospitals and medical practitioners.  Such a grim possibility can happen if we do not find the fastest and most efficient remedy to the problem. 

It is in times like this when the leaders we have elected should step forward and be the leader we hoped they will be.  Our supposed leaders and their perceived opponents should have some sort of a ceasefire from politics, putting their interests on hold and be united in finding solutions to the emerging problems brought about by the disease. 

And yet, people will be people. Politicians will always be politicians thinking about nothing but their own agenda. Some even, by some egoistic idea of entitlement, stormed into the testing centers demanding that they be tested first ignoring the fact that  they have nothing to worry about yet and that more people needed to be tested immediately and use the very limited  gadgets or instruments there are.  

Members of Congress has given the President emergency powers to quell the malaise that is Covid-19.  Knowing that for a democracy to work, the citizens should be able to express their minds freely so that the leaders they chose to sit in power are doing their job, effectively and rightfully.  In effect, it is everybody’s duty to criticize, give their opinions and tell their elected officials what they are doing wrong or otherwise.  The followers of the President, which it seems is dwindling, come to his rescue and suggest that those criticizing him are nothing but distractors of his government, etc, etc.  They want us to just follow him blindly. 

If that is what they want, then they deserve to live miserable lives under a dictator! In the past three weeks, I have seen and heard actions from the government that I object to and as my prime duty not to just sit and wait, I have engaged with fellow, well-meaning citizens to make our voices heard. Yes, a pandemic is wreaking havoc in the country and we seem to be losing because we also have to fight against ignorance, greed and self-serving leaders which is even worse.  I have put my opinions on Facebook and reproducing them here in my blog for safekeeping.