Choose your poison

Is it possible that, the ECQ and GCQ in Metro Manila will already be over but the Social Amelioration support for the poor will remain undistributed? In spite of the stern warning of the DILG that local officials who fail to distribute the SAP funds will be charged in court, many LGUs have come up with all sorts of excuses. The problem is, as former President Erap Estrada often says: “Hungry stomachs know no laws.”  To make matters worse we have the national government adding insult to injury by announcing that millions more Filipinos will be added to the list. Why not pick out a few incompetent LGU officials from the line and make them an example, and proof, that the DILG will not put up with such unconscionable delays.

At the moment people are still at the “Shaking their heads” stage at how painfully slow the disbursement has been going. But with the announcement of a new batch of beneficiaries and funds, a few weeks more of further delays and Malacañang can expect people to start talking about possible graft, thievery or that the money is being deposited in banks so thieves can make a clean profit from the 30 day interest on hundreds of millions of pesos. The Belgica brothers in government should start investigating LGUs for corruption and Red Tape before it all blows up on the President later.

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Several women have already died from postnatal complications and all these were connected with hospitals rejecting them due to Covid-19 or failure to have the ability to pay a hefty deposit. There were also other cases in the past weeks where people died due to lack of medical attention from 4 to 7 hospitals. Sadly we have not heard of a single case that has been filed in court by the Department of Justice. All we have heard is “the NBI will be investigating” or ‘appropriate charges will be filed.” Sorry but the recurrence of patient rejections done by a hospital is in itself proof that their fear or greed is far greater than the press release from Malacañang or the NBI. The NBI and the DOH should also look into reports of mercenary pricing and charges being slapped on patients. A patient’s family member in the US called our attention and asked why Non-Covid 19 patients are being charged for multiple sets of gloves, PPE’s and masks for three shifts of nurses, interns and workers servicing non-Covid 19 patients. Another asked why they were being billed if most of the PPE’s and masks were actually donated to the hospitals?

For whatever it’s worth, these are valid questions and concerns from patients and their families who have to pay the cost of hospitalization that has obviously increased sharply because most hospitals are on Covid-19 mode. To be fair to the hospitals, the fact is anywhere from 30 percent of the general population could be asymptomatic so we also can’t blame the hospitals for being cautious even with Non-Covid 19 cases.

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Like many of you, I have also guarded what little freedoms we exercise such as the short walks to the store or the supermarket so when the IATF declared a stay at home order for persons 0 to 20 and 60 and above, I was one of the several million who expressed objection to the policy. Yes, we won in that round but now we who have kids from 0 to 20 or are aged 60 and above, will now have to prove to the government and to ourselves that we are responsible and careful citizens with enough common sense and judgment not to go out doors except ONLY FOR ESSENTIAL trips and purchases. We now have to show to the government and to ourselves that we can socially distance, be paranoid about contamination, disinfect ourselves with alcohol, wear gloves, take showers when coming from outside and STRICTLY LIMIT or totally avoid contact with outsiders.

In areas that will soon be opening to General Community Quarantine or GCQ, individuals who will be allowed to go out to work MUST be educated and trained daily to avoid contact or exposing the 0 to 20 and 60+ to potential harm by observing any and all sanitary and medical precautions. If possible, those who will be allowed to work and go outdoors should find a way of doing 2 to 3 week distancing and avoidance of loved ones because of the high risk of them bringing the virus home. That was why I questioned the idea of allowing 21 to 59-year-olds to go out. We were supposed to “Heal As One” during ECQ, but with 21 to 59-year-olds being allowed out under ECQ all that may cause a second wave of infections.

People have said that Lockdowns are worse than the disease. In fact in New York City, a reporter challenged NYC Gov. Andrew Cuomo raising the argument that the economic impact of the Lockdown had consequences that were worse than the disease. Gov. Cuomo shot that argument by saying: “The consequence of Covid-19 is death. What could be worse than that?.” Yesterday, news came out that Sen. Sonny Angara re-tested positive to Covid 19. A few days before that, four similar cases were reported in Zamboanga and in the Visayas or Bicol. Lately, there have been more and more studies indicating that we have “zombies” or the asymptomatics walking around in the general population. Knowing that it now comes down to a “Choice of Poisons.” Life or Money? Home for now or go to your grave? Yes the consequence of Covid 19 is death.

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