MANILA, Philippines – Nanawagan si Pangulong Rodrigo
Duterte sa ating nasyon na sundin ang mga alituntunin na ibinigay ng national
government para pigilan ang pagkalat ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Gayon
pa man, nanawagan din ang Pangulo sa mga local government units (LGU) na
magkaisa sa pagpapatupad ng panukala para hindi na lumala pa ang sitwasyon ng
bansa sa pamamagitan ng pag pigil sa mga tao na lumabas ng mga kani-kanilang
tahanan bilang parte ng enhanced community quarantine.
Ilang araw na ang nakaraan, ang Luzon ay nasa ilalim ng
striktong kwarantenas na kung saan kinakailangan ng lahat na huwag munang
lumabas ng tahanan para maiwasan ang paglipat ng virus sa mga tao, ito ang
pahayag ng Pangulo matapos ang isang pagpupulong kasama ang miyembro ng
Inter-Agency Task Froce para sa Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, na
ginanap sa Malago Clubhouse sa Malacañang nito lamang Huwebes ng gabi.
“At this
time I do not think it is just a quarantine… I think that we are already in the
stage of a lockdown simply because the contagion continues to take its toll in
the countryside,” pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte.
Sa pangunang
desisyon ng Pangulo, ang NCR ang unang nagkaroon ng community quarantine na
kung saan mahigpit ang panukala ng bawat lugar sa buong Metro Manila.
Kumakailanlang, sa kadahilanang tumataas ang bilang ng mga PUI at PUMs, nilunsad
na ang enhanced community quarantine sa buong Luzon. Dahil dito, ipinahinto ang
lahat ng operasyon ng mga byahe kasama na rin ang pagsasara pansamantala ng mga
negosyong hindi nagbibigay ng pangunahing pangangailangan ng tao.
Heto ang mga Pahayag ng Pangulo:
“We are in a
critical time. We have resorted to this extreme measure of an enhanced
quarantine for Luzon, because the magnitude of the threat that we are facing
calls for it.”
“By its
nature, it severely restricts the freedom of movement of our countrymen, and
thus deprives many people of the ability of earning a living for the coming
weeks.”
“In the coming days, we will
need the help of the LGUs more and more. So I want to make this clear early on.
Let us work together to implement this quarantine, and it should all begin with
the LGUs making sure that your actions are consistent with the national
directives. To do otherwise would sow confusion.”
“All
over the world, there is confusion and chaos already because of these
lockdowns. We are not the only ones into it. All countries of the world, as a
matter of fact, are doing it. And that is why it adds more trouble than what is
already there that we can handle.”
“We are not alone. But let
our country lead the way in imposing a lockdown (that)is strict enough to
effectively kill COVID-19, liberal enough so that our people will not die of
hunger and orderly enough so that our country will not be driven towards chaos
during this difficult time.”
“I
am ordering all LGUs that are doing this to stand down, and to abide by the
directives of the IATF, the task force, not mine but the task force, and those
issued by the Office of the President. And to make sure that what the IATF says
should be closed, is closed, and those that should be open, stays open.”
“You know, the only reason
why you can impose these quarantine restrictions and impose it on everyone
passing [through] your areas, is because the national government is allowing
you to do so,” he said. “But if you go beyond the standards that we have set,
you are abusing your authority, and you know that it can lead to –
administrative cases or even worse, unless you stop what you are doing and
[cooperate] fully. Criminal cases cannot be far behind.”
“I
am therefore directing the DILG and DOJ (Department of Justice) to closely
monitor the compliance of LGUs with the directives of the office and to file
the necessary cases against wayward officials.”
Sa kanyang talumpating ito,
inatasan ng Pangulo ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) na
seguradohin ang pagsunod ng mga LGUs sa mga guidelines. Dagdag pa niya, maaring
masampahan ng nararapat na kaso ang mga opisyales na lumabag dito.
Samantala, pahayag naman ni
Spokesperson Salvador Panelo na hindi papalagpasin ng national government ang
paglabag sa mga panukala - “Errant local
officials will face administrative sanctions and criminal prosecution. The
LGUs’ actions must be in sync and in unison with the national government’s
directives in this state of national health emergency and calamity.”
Sa kabilang
ulat naman, tinanggi ni Malaya na ang mga pahayag ng Pangulo ay hindi para kay
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto sa kanyang pag-giit na gamitin ang mga pampublikong
tricycle. Dagdag pa ni Malaya, maliit lang na isyu ito.
Nilinaw ni
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año na ang transportasyong pampubliko ay hindi
maaring gamitin habang nasa lockdown pa.
