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The recent spate of red-tagging and brazen use of authority against media and the people’s growing dissent speak volumes of how the Duterte administration – and its emboldened security forces – are facing the COVID-19 pandemic not only with apparent incompetence, but also with its usual self-serving and despotic brand of governance.
“There is no specific law that criminalizes it (violating the ECQ protocols). The police can always tell the people to go home and then file charges but not arrest them.”
“Some detention centers have clinics but have no doctors. There are only two to three doctors for the thousands of PDLs [persons deprived of liberty] in the whole capital.” By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com MANILA – While human rights lawyers and relatives...
Karapatan ST is calling on the government to focus on “providing relief and serving the people through coming up with a solution to the crisis, instead of using the pandemic as an opportunity to intensify fascist attacks on the citizenry.”
“The more than 30-days lockdown has demonstrated just how bound and determined this administration, not in ‘flattening the curve’ of COVID-19 cases, but at committing human rights violations with impunity along the way.”
The Duterte administration should focus its energy on containing the virus instead of containing the growing discontent.
“There were also no anti-government products in the food packs. There is no such thing as anti-government vegetables, anti-government condiments, or anti-government soap.”
“COVID-19, one of the worst pandemics to hit the world since the Spanish Influenza of 1918 is now exposing the vulnerabilities of privatized national public health care systems and the inadequate response of the capitalist governments.”
“Government is contented with the limited food aid that they have given us, without even thinking that it would only last for a day or two, what would happen after that? And then there are the other needs of our family like medicine, where would we get that?”
“More and more Filipino families will be pushed into deeper poverty under the COVID-19 lockdown if government does not speed up and significantly expand socioeconomic relief and response to reach all those needing assistance.” By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com...
This means that only those with mild pneumonia could be fully covered by Philhealth. Those with moderate, severe and critical pneumonia will have to shell out payments from their own pockets, ranging from 35 percent to 88 percent for an eight-day confinement. For severe and critical pneumonia, Philhealth will only cover nine percent to 21 percent of the total cost for a 16-day hospitalization.
Instead of a moratorium on debt payments, the Duterte administration wants the country to sink deeper in debt. It is shamelessly taking advantage of the pandemic to push for the interest of his foreign masters.
The CPP said its Central Committee has ordered the extension for 15 more days in order to “prioritize the fight against the pandemic and ensure the safety, health and well-being of everyone."
In a letter submitted to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on April 15, Luis Jalandoni said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) mounted 13 attacks or assaults against the New People’s Army (NPA) and conducted at least five aerial bombardment and artillery shelling in 96 towns and 196 villages.
“International human rights law guarantees everyone the right to the highest attainable standard of health and obligates governments to take steps to provide medical care to those who need it. Now more than ever, we need to ensure health care access is available to all in the time of COVID-19 pandemic.”
"We plead for you to spare him from a truly life-threatening possibility of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. We appeal that your decision be on the side of just compassion.”
That light is our hope, that light is Christ, and his light is pointing us to the way, the way that is for us to tap into our very humanity to think beyond ourselves, to go beyond ourselves and instead see the situation of others. It’s not me, it’s them. Their comfort above my comfort. Their safety above my safety. The question now is, like Jesus, am I able to offer my life for the salvation of others? So that others would no longer weep in hunger, in isolation, in separation?
Like the disciples who were transformed by the resurrection, let us not return to the life as it was. We can build a better world, a more humane, just and compassionate one! After this, we should not return to business as usual, but walk in the newness of life where love, justice and peace prevail.
The Trump administration’s overuse of the “ Iranian terrorist designations” has now further threatened the entry of humanitarian aid in Iran, which is supposed to be exempted from sanctions.
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