"These entitled officials who unnecessarily put themselves first instead of serving those who direly need the government’s help and resources."
"These entitled officials who unnecessarily put themselves first instead of serving those who direly need the government’s help and resources."
It has been agonizing and enormously frustrating for all of us since this coronavirus pandemic crept into the country, as well as devastating over 60 percent of nearly 200 nations across the globe.
At this point, we are just hoping that concerned government officials share President Duterte’s selfless concern for the people, particularly the impoverished Filipinos who are hardest-hit by the economic impact of this public health crisis.
Our less fortunate kababayan are more susceptible to the contagious disease, especially now with diminished capacity to buy healthy foods, vitamins, hygienic necessities and toiletries.
Worse, the poorest of the poor apparently have the least access to public health care and medical services, even with the availability of PhilHealth.
We understand why Manong Digong, who turns 75 next week, had to be among the first persons tested for possible coronavirus infection, along with Senator Bong “SAP” Go, who chaired a Senate hearing in which a resource person appeared and turned up COVID-19 positive. The same goes for the other senators exposed in that hearing.
But we are appalled and disgusted by what appears to be a VIP-complex of some government executives who impatiently get themselves tested first instead of allowing medical attention and use of limited number of test kits on those patients who urgently need them.
The COVID-19 test kits being donated by China, Jack Ma and Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and the U.S. will not be enough to test the hundreds of persons under investigation (PUIs) who actually show signs and symptoms of infection.
Practically having the whole nation literally on lockdown, many of those who actually need testing and medical attention are compelled to go on self-quarantine, hoping for the signs and symptoms of the disease to go away by themselves.
It’s outrageous that Manong Duterte should be around these entitled officials who unnecessarily put themselves first instead of serving those who direly need the government’s help and resources.
There’s no doubting the President’s sincerity and wisdom in his decision to implement community quarantine, first in Metro Manila, and then the entire Luzon before the number of confirmed cases of infection and deaths ballooned.
In a desperate effort to contain the further spread of COVID-19, he also directed local government executives to exercise their discretion in placing their respective localities under community quarantine.
During this state of calamity and virtual lockdown, those less fortunate in terms of livelihood bear the brunt of this crisis beyond health concerns. Self-quarantine is not an end in itself, as we need to seek out those sickly poor Filipinos and help them even before they die from hunger.
Under these extreme circumstances of anxiety and hardship, the ordinary Juan dela Cruz and the poorest of the poor do not deserve any lip service from selfish and insensitive government officials.
They better follow Manong Digong’s footsteps. Serbisyo publiko muna!