Former senator and Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the public should demand more from the government and not be contented with the current COVID-19 response.
Escudero urged the Filipinos not to settle for less.
“The ‘it could have been worse’ argument is actually a fallacy designed to make people feel good and contented with whatever is given them,” Escudero said in his Facebook post.
“We can and should demand more from our leaders who I believe can and will do more! ‘Di na dapat pwede ang ‘pwede na’ [the “that will do” attitude is no longer acceptable],” Chiz Escudero added.
Escudero did not name any government project or official he was referring to. Still, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier refuted the claims of Senator Franklin Drilon that the government failed to address the COVID-19 crisis adequately.
“Hindi kami sumasang-ayon sa sinasabi ni Senator (Franklin) Drilon. Dahil kung tayo ay pumalpak ng gaya ng sinasabi niya, nagkatotoo po sana yung forecast ng UP na 3.5 million ngayon ang may sakit. Sabi pa nga nung isang think tank, 20 million dapat ngayon ang may sakit… Hindi ba ‘yan pruweba na meron tayong mga hakbang na ginawa na tama?” Roque said.
Also read: Some senators not satisfied with Duterte’s COVID-19 plans laid in SONA
(We do not agree with what Senator Drilon is saying. Because if we failed, like what he claimed, the UP forecast of 3.5 million cases would have happened. One think tank even said we would have 20 million cases. Isn’t that proof that we have taken corrective measures?)
On May 28, President Rodrigo Duterte also said that the Philippines’ COVID-19 cases are not that bad compared to other established countries. The country’s cases then were only 15,588, with only 921 deaths and 3,598 recoveries.
Activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, meanwhile, said that Duterte’s COVID-19 plan revolves around waiting for the vaccine from China.
“I think DOH is just ‘riding out’ COVID-19 until a vaccine is invented. I don’t see nor feel any active/serious efforts being done by it,” he said in another Facebook post.
“The DOH, as the lead agency of the IATF, should do precisely that — lead in a proactive way and not simply be content in reporting out statistics,” he added.