‘Although hard and stern, this newest policy coming from the Palace may just be the answer in strictly imposing the rule on social or physical distancing.’
PRESIDENT Duterte has issued a stern warning to all persons in authority, specifically barangay chairmen and policemen, that they can be charged for dereliction of duty if they fail to stop the holding of mass gatherings, swimming parties, religious activities, meetings and the like that violate health safety protocols of the Inter-Agency Task Force handling official government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the nation suffers from “COVID fatigue” day in and day out, Filipinos have become complacent and are taunting the authorities by breaking health protocols and local ordinances.
In his report to the President in the televised meeting of the Cabinet and IATF last Wednesday night, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año enumerated at least three “superspreader” incidents in the NCR Plus bubble under restricted GCQ that easily stoked the ire of Duterte.
These incidents were the Mothers’ Day swimming-picnic of some 400 revelers in Gubat sa Siyudad, a resort in Barangay Bagumbong, Caloocan City; another pool party and drinking session in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon, Quezon City; and followed by still another in Norzagaray, Bulacan. Health and local government authorities have established that in these incidents, the following were infected by the coronavirus — 24 in Gubat sa Siyudad, 51 in Nagkaisang Nayon, and 23 in Norzagaray.
The mentioned get-togethers were clearly violations of social distancing and the ban on mass gatherings imposed by the government, and several violators have been investigated, detained, and are now facing charges. The fact that scores of participants in these activities got infected with the virus is a grim reminder that COVID-19 is still very much with us, even as the vaccination program has gained some headway.
Duterte was emphatic and terse in his warning: “If there’s one single incident beginning tonight, the police will just arrest the barangay captain first and bring him to the station together with those holding the picnic, have them investigated and detain them.”
The President reminded barangay officials that they are “persons of authority” and are duty bound to act on anything they sure are wrongdoing or violations of the law, or else they are committing the crime of dereliction of duty defined under the nation’s laws.
Although hard and stern, this newest policy coming from the Palace may just be the answer in strictly imposing the rule on social or physical distancing. In the case of the resort in Caloocan City, it was clearly a business decision for the resort owner to open the place to customers, knowing that it is not allowed, and, who knows maybe the barangay and police officials were totally clueless or just looked the other way.
The government should walk the talk on this one.
