EDITORIAL - Ridiculous

One commissioner of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) wants the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate Vice President Leni Robredo for competing with and undermining the national government's efforts to fight the COVID-19 infection.

According to a report in Philstar.com, PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna said the Office of the Vice President’s initiatives such as its free shuttle service, its dorm for health workers and its donation of personal protective equipment for health workers on the frontlines are in direct competition with some initiatives of the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Of course Luna’s accusations are ridiculous.

First of all, providing things to people that need them, especially in a crisis like this, shouldn’t be viewed as a race or a competition with winners or losers.

Second, Luna seems to be saying the government agencies don’t need any help in this crisis and that they are doing jolly good all on their own. We all know how the different agencies are burdened with managing almost everything from keeping medical frontliners safe, to taking care of COVID-19 patients, to distributing aid to families that have lost income, to taking care of businesses that are left high and dry, etc.

Then here comes Robredo trying to do something helpful and Luna immediately sees malice.

Yes, it’s true that Robredo and President Duterte have never seen eye-to-eye, why she might even be doing this to spite the Duterte administration, we never know. However, the fact remains that so many people need what she is offering right now, whether it’s free shuttle services, dorm accommodations, or personal protective equipment.

And government agencies are hard-pressed to provide everything they ought to be providing to the frontliners, the patients, those who have to stay home, and those who in one way or another have been affected by this pandemic.

Right now they need all the help they can get, no matter where it comes from.

Lastly, and this should be pointed out, Luna seems to imply that the Office of the Vice President isn’t part of the national government at all. Last we checked the vice president was a government official put into office via national elections. This applies whether or not she is allied with the president.