The Philippines now faces the ignominy of being dead-last among countries considered safest in Asia-Pacific in the wake of the pandemic, according to the list prepared by Hong Kong-based venture capital firm Deep Knowledge Ventures.
This is not surprising, however. Time and again this column has pointed out the glaring inefficiency of those tasked with planning and overseeing the country’s response to the pandemic. In fact, I’m no longer even sure of the veracity of the government’s Covid-19 statistics.
It now appears that what we have been writing all along does not accurately reflect the total number of infected individuals. As Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the national policy on coronavirus disease, has admitted, there is a backlog of about 7,000 tests nationwide as of May 15. In effect, the current testing capacity of 4,500 is still less than half of the 30,000-per-day goal set by the government.
Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire clarified that the health department has been aiming to conduct “expanded” testing, rather than mass testing, due to the limited resources of the government. She said the DOH has expanded its scope for testing, which now includes individuals exhibiting mild to no symptoms of Covid-19.
She issued the clarification after Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the government does not have enough resources to conduct mass testing, and instead will shift the burden to private sectors, which drew flak among the public. The DOH has since then been ramping up the country’s testing capacity. It aims to conduct at least 30,000 Covid-19 tests a day by the end of May.
What does this say about the policies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) which directs the country’s response to the virus?
Without a reliable database about the actual extent of the contagion, the agency is operating blindly. Based on their erroneous data, the task force has divided the nation into high-risk, moderate-risk, and safe areas. Are the classifications they made accurate? In a nutshell, our freedom of movement and conduct of commerce are all based on speculation or on something the government is simply clueless about.
After more than two months of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), major parts of the country continue to fend off the pandemic blindly. The Duterte administration had earlier boasted that it had the capacity to conduct mass testing—a crucial exercise which was able to save many lives in countries such as South Korea and Vietnam. The boast has proved empty. This administration has instead passed on the burden of mass testing to the already overburdened private sector which is also mandated to shuttle thousands of employees to and from work. What is truly sickening is the callous remark of a police officer who quipped: “If the private companies cannot do this then they might as well remain closed. They have no business operating if they can’t comply.”
Deep Knowledge Ventures, a company that focuses on health care and longevity technology, sought to determine how 20 Asia-Pacific nations are faring in their management of the pandemic based on the following criteria: Lowest likelihood of infection, lowest chance of mortality, and highest likelihood of recovery based on efficiency of quarantine and government management, monitoring and detection, and emergency treatment readiness. The Philippines, ranked 20th on the list, behind Indonesia (19th) and Bangladesh (18th), was considered the least safe and most at-risk country in the region.
I couldn’t agree more. Despite placing the entire country under a virtual police state where quarantine violation is almost equally considered a heinous crime, the government has not done enough to control the spread of the disease and assuage the people’s apprehension about dying from Covid-19, but also from hunger, especially for those who do not get paid if they do not work. An added fear is the violent repercussions that come with even a simple violation of community quarantine regulations. Why not enforce the rules but with a more humane and compassionate approach? If someone is caught loitering, or not observing social distancing, the police could just simply escort the violator home, with a monetary fine, if needed. If caught going out of their homes without face masks, the violators could be provided with face masks that they should pay for, but with a corresponding official receipt.
What we have witnessed the past weeks have been arrogant displays of power over the powerless. A former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder was gunned down; a vendor was beaten black and blue; violators are made to do unnecessary physical punishment in the guise of physical exercise, and/or locked up, etc.
The latest incident involves the arrest and alleged torture of factory worker Ronald Campo, 30, on the evening of May 12, in Tropical Village in Barangay San Francisco, General Trias, Cavite, on the charge of violating simple quarantine protocols. His offenses: “Resistance and disobedience upon agent of person in authority, violation of City Ordinance on non-wearing of face mask, violation of provincial ordinances [liquor ban and curfew], and qualified trespass to dwelling.”
Cavite Police Chief Col. Marlon Santos denied the allegation, and insisted that the alleged victim was not beaten up. He even offered a comical sequence of the event: “In his effort to escape, [Campo] went to the top of the roof, and because he was drunk, he fell with his head first. He jumped into a swimming pool without water. He fell in the canal in his efforts to elude arrest.”
The penalties for ordinary citizens have been exceptionally harsh, but for quarantine violators who are tasked to implement the law, exceptions are being made. Take the case of Metro Manila’s top-ranking cop, Police Major General Debold Sinas, who has been filmed in his house celebrating his birthday with his men—obviously violating quarantine protocols. There have been massive calls for the PNP leadership to kick him out of service, but PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said Sinas has “a lot of programs in relation to the novel coronavirus.”
President Duterte has come to Sinas’ aid. “I hope the public would understand that since we’re here in an emergency situation,” Duterte said, “if you try to replace him, we will never know. He’s incredibly difficult to replace because he’s behind many programs in relation to Covid-19.”
Duterte added: “You’ll say, ‘the law is the law.’ Well, that’s up to me. It’s my responsibility. But I will not order his transfer. He stays there until further orders.”
There you go! The painful part of this saga is that those killed, mauled, and tortured by the police by violating simple quarantine protocols have not even been afforded the same benefit of the doubt and courtesy of due process.
For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com