It’s a matter of leadership

Sometime in the middle of last year, our city became the epicenter of the spread of the coronavirus in the country. In just few months since it landed our shores, the disease raged uncontrollably. To reconstruct medical history, a Communist Chinese visitor, later found out to be a carrier of the virus, came to Cebu from Wuhan. If I may be allowed to exaggerate, Red China exported its deadliest killer commodity to us and the rest of the world. The COVID-19 took our government completely surprised and our people wholly unprepared. To face an unseen enemy, our authorities scrambled from anything to everything if only to save lives. Thank God, simple health protocols like wearing face mask, using face shields, keeping safe social distances and washing hands frequently, enforced by military personnel riding in armored vehicles over our known hard-headedness began to offer a sign of protection. We eventually reduced the contamination to two-digit levels.

It thus becomes horrible to hear that there has been a surge of viral infection in the last few weeks. This Communist Chinese disease, appearing in different mutations, again wreaks havoc. It attacks an average of 150 Cebu City residents daily. Everyone seems to ask what can and must be done.

We now know that the basic health protocols conceived by health experts throughout the world are effective. Yes, these are also hassles to our usual chores. But, together with the martial law kind of implementation of these health measures, we somehow have succeeded to flatten the curve. In that context, we have to admit that our prople’s complacent nature is the cause of the rebound of the virus.

It looks to me that leadership is the answer to the surge of this Chinese disease. For a while, our city was without a leader strong enough to do what had to be done. Our mayor was indisposed for few months being sidelined by ear infection. His working from home did not inspire the kind of obedience in his subordinates as to make sure that his orders, COVID-related or not, were followed. The vice mayor, on the other hand, could not take over because he knew that there was no legal basis to do so. His hands were tied both by principles of law and by a deep sense of propriety. While the protocols were known, no one saw to it that they were observed. Some minor functionaries tasked to implement the guidelines seemed to lack zeal. In the absence of meaningful leadership, COVID-19 viciously struck again. The surge assumed the characteristics of a second wave.

Cebuanos should be happy that Mayor Edgardo Labella has reported back to his city hall office. In the first television footage that I saw, he instilled inspiration into my sagging faith in government. The perceptible discoloration of his face only showed his determination to lead. He might have appeared still slightly infirmed but his indomitable spirit is all we need. We, his constituents, should do no less. Let us support our mayor and help him fight this virus. Mayor Labella uses a face mask. We must also have masks all the time. The mayor dons a face shield. Let us follow his example. When the mayor met his officials, he observed social distancing. There is good reason that we, too, keep safely distant from everyone else. Let our mayor command us to heed health mandates. I believe that when we do his bidding, we can defeat this virus from Communist China.