Unbelievable, ridiculous

I was in utter disbelief when I heard of PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna's request to the NBI to investigate Vice President Leni Robredo for "illegal solicitations" and for her moves to "compete with, or calculated to undermine, national government efforts in this time of public health emergency or national calamity." In other words, Luna doesn’t want the vice president to upstage the efforts of this administration. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) was one of the first responders in helping healthcare frontliners in terms of transportation and personal protective equipment (PPE). The OVP has also set up dormitories that frontliners can use to be near their respective hospitals, especially for those who live outside Metro Manila. Luna doesn't like that.

Senator Panfilo Lacson's statement was spot-on. He said the motto of the PACC was "Lahat ng tutulong, ikukulong" as a reaction to Luna's ridiculous request. This prompted PACC Chairman Dante Jimenez to immediately disown Luna's request and made it clear this was just a personal opinion of Luna and not the stand of the PACC. The PACC has taken no action to investigate Vice President Robredo.

Reaction to Luna's statement was unanimous. It was unbelievable, ridiculous, and smacks yet of political persecution on a known member of the opposition. In today's crisis, helping people is not a competition.

If Luna's thinking is to be followed, then everyone outside the government helping the frontliners and the like must all be investigated for competing with the government. People like Angel Locsin, Lea Salonga, Mayor Vico Sotto, and Isko Moreno, private companies and many more who have received millions of pesos in donations and put them to good use. Luna's actions are politicized where the target is only the vice president.

President Duterte has already fired Luna from the PACC as soon as he learned what he had said. Good for him. A welcome move from the president which the OVP has also acknowledged and was thankful for as well. Today, there is no room for politics, especially the persecution of those who are helping in the fight against COVID-19. I don't know what Luna was thinking. If he wanted to brown-nose with the president it completely backfired. His statement does not paint a good picture of the administration, especially at a time like this. I only hope he is not merely transferred to another government position. He does not deserve to be in public service. He now has all the time to think of what to do next.

The number of those found positive for COVID-19 is still rising. We have breached the 3,000 level with more than a hundred deaths. Several places are now being considered to be used as a quarantine facility. A testament to how swamped hospitals have become. Which is why all the more is help needed and appreciated.