‘Sadly, there are the Novaks and PGs of this world who do not think twice about receiving or even facilitating special treatment, for
the sake of personal
convenience and gain.’
THE saga of the ruckus caused by tennis’ number 1 player Novak Djokovic has finally come to a close. Last Sunday, the Federal Court rejected Djokovic’s appeal to overturn the Minister of Immigration’s decision to cancel his visa. This slammed the door on Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open, where he was expected to chase his 21st grand slam title.
Djokovic hopped on an Emirates flight post-haste to Dubai, and it is yet unreported where he is headed next. It is my understanding that the initial exemption for the unvaccinated Novak (prompting social media users to call him “Novax Djokovic”) did not sit well with many Australians citizens who have had to endure strict on-and-off lockdowns to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With rising numbers due to what is presumably the Omicron variant, it is quite understandable why Australians took Djokovic’s special treatment as an affront to their personal and collective efforts.
There was quite a bit of back-and-forth as well about Djokovic’s movements prior to December 16, 2021, when he allegedly caught the virus. What is not clear to me exactly is that the exemption was supposedly granted based on the allegation that he recently contracted the virus, and therefore was carrying some sort of immunity for a limited period of time. In any case, Internet sleuths quickly unearthed press photos of Djokovic in public (without a mask, if I may add) after he supposedly tested positive for COVID-19. At the least, these discoveries cast doubt on the declarations made by Djokovic in support of the exemption granted to him, and the Australian Federal Government did not back down from enforcing its own border policies despite an initial setback.
Djokovic’s fans lamented the decision to uphold the visa cancellation, and tried to console the former by saying that there was nothing else the tennis star could do to fix the situation. Actually, there is. He could’ve gotten vaccinated. It will be good for Djokovic to recall his unsolicited advice to Naomi Osaka (after the latter refused to attend a post-match press conference at the French Open) and practice what he mansplains: rules are rules.
Djokovic’s case reminds me of the anger over Poblacion Girl — while many Filipinos strive to dodge COVID-19 by following health and safety protocols, PG was allowed to flout the rules simply because she had the means to do so. While the drubbing PG received from traditional and social media was hopefully enough to set her straight in her ways (let’s not include the necessary uncountability under our laws,) the anger from ordinary Filipinos (as it was in the case of ordinary Australians) is quite justified. Isolation or quarantine is not a walk through the woods — it can take a toll on one’s mental health, not to mention one’s ability to earn a living for your family. Yet, because most Filipinos are afraid to give the illness to their loved ones, many choose to follow the recommended measures out of caution. Sadly, there are the Novaks and PGs of this world who do not think twice about receiving or even facilitating special treatment, for the sake of personal convenience and gain. Our authorities here at home will do well to emulate the enforcement of the Australian Government as a small but significant nod to the sacrifices of many Filipinos during this pandemic.
