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A United Nations special rapporteur reminded states that “excessive use of force by the police is unlawful under international law, including during states of emergency.”
How would a small poor village be faring in the time of the coronavirus? In a community in the central Philippines, the farmers' struggle against land grabs amid threats of food insecurity has taken on greater urgency.
“There are billions in the budget that are yet untapped which were actually contained in his Report but President Duterte is very slow and inefficient in tapping these funds.”
Even during a calamity or health emergency, Bishop Reuel Marigza, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, said that compassion and human dignity should be at the heart of government officials carrying out relief operations.
"Punitive act in any circumstances won't discourage children from doing wrong. You should educate them well. A militarist approach won't solve this pandemic.”
All these actions aim to create chilling effect, to force us into silence amid the Duterte administration’s glaring failure to address the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s disheartening that while workers are uniting to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, towards just compensation, and against widespread lay-offs, NTF-ELCAC is hard at work oppressing workers’ rights.”
Based on empirical data, e-learning is not for everyone given the unequal economic status of students. Internet access is not for everybody. Even if mobile telephony is ubiquitous, the low purchasing power of families makes it expensive to maintain good data connection in the students' mobile phones.
“We have tried to reach out to the health department but we have only received their reply via email saying that we should practice social distancing. There was no response to our call for mass testing. None of the phone lines given by DOH was picking up.”
“It is infuriating that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has done more to care for large-scale mining corporations than to respond to the millions of Filipinos becoming increasingly facing starvation, police brutality, and unchecked contamination of the COVID-19 virus.”
"He [Pimentel] blatantly violated laws, which put the lives and health of frontliners and even ordinary citizens at grave risk."
"They threatened to stop our community kitchen if we will continue with the protests and placards. Will these police officers feed us?"
It comes as no surprise that the current lockdown has become a de facto crackdown for some of those who dare speak up against the government.
"Helping one another is very important during these times. Many have lost their sources of livelihood due to the lockdown.”
“Now, more than, ever, we need to fight and resist all forms of suppression that trample our right to free speech. We will never succumb to any deleterious pronouncement and threat.”
On March 26, WHO issued a statement urging countries to not waste time in its efforts against the contagion and gave a list of six actions every country should take immediately. Unfortunately, the Philippine government is found wanting in its efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
"i’m really sorry i don’t normally put that stuff out here but nanginginig ako sa galit and they need to be set free and the faster we can get this done the better."
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