Brothers and sisters, just last week, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque joyfully greeted the Philippines because it supposedly beat the forecast claimed by experts from the University of the Philippines regarding the expected number of Covid-19 cases by the end of June. In UP’s projection, the number of Covid-19 cases may reach around 40,000 in June, but based on the government’s data, the number of recorded cases reached slightly more than 36,000.
Even if we included the backlog of 1,000 Covid-19 cases that are yet to be confirmed, it wouldn’t have reached the overall number predicted by UP. “Congratulations, Philippines!” Secretary Roque said, while raising his fist like how he watches a basketball game where his favorite team is winning. Our country is winning the fight against Covid-19. We will do it again this month of July.
Secretary Roque’s enjoyment is out of place.
What is the point of beating UP’s forecast? Aren’t the cases of Covid-19 continuing to rise in number every day? Have we yet to achieve what is called “flattening the curve” where we are able to decelerate the rate of positive cases of the virus? Hasn’t the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed the Philippines has the fastest rate of rising number of Covid-19 cases within the Western Pacific Region? And now, we see this rise spreading outside Metro Manila, such as Cebu City, and other places in Mindanao, but we still haven’t focused on the medical needs of the people infected with this virus here in Metro Manila.
Aside from UP, our leaders have other misconceived “enemies” that they prioritize their time for rather than improving our solutions to address Covid-19. Our lawmakers are busy finding ways to bury ABS-CBN. Our leaders are busy silencing critical journalists. The Duterte administration was busy passing the Anti-Terror Act that, regardless of it not being implemented yet, makes some officials in the government aggressively red-tag those, according to them, sympathizers of progressive groups. Authorities are busy in capturing and detaining peace protesters even if they follow social distancing. The government is busy getting online sellers to pay taxes, and killing the livelihood of jeepney drivers without providing the help they need to stand up every day while they are not allowed operate.
We are taught by the Catholic social teaching that it is the duty of any institution, especially the government, to care for the lives of people, propagate our dignity, and ensure we achieve the common good. It is the government’s duty to help its citizens fulfill their roles for others and for society. But if the leaders of our government focus their attention towards covering their shortcomings and the things that were ineffective in solving the crisis we are facing—and this is the Covid-19 pandemic—it is difficult to say they are properly doing their moral duty.
Brothers and sisters, leaders are essential in times that our country is facing heavy crises, and Covid-19 is our true enemy. Their skills to govern are being challenged by the hardest chapter in our history. As stated in the book of Proverbs 24:10, “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”
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