Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday refuted presidential spokesman Harry Roque's claim that the Philippines is “winning” the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the first place, it’s too early to say that we are winning because if we are winning, then we should have had a semblance of normalcy, especially here in Metro Manila,” Binay said in an interview over ANC Headstart.
“But the mere fact that we are still under general community quarantine, means we’re not winning the battle,” she said.
Roque had earlier boasted that the Philippines is “winning” the COVID-19 battle, disputing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) assessment that the Philippines has the fastest rise in new cases in the Western Pacific region.
But according to Binay, data will show that the number of coronavirus cases in the country keeps on increasing compared to other neighboring countries in Asia
“Vietnam now has zero cases, while we report around 700 cases daily,” the senator said.
“We still have a problem with testing. The promise was I think by June, our testing capacity will be at 30,000. Where are we now? We’re just 16,000. It’s too far from the 30,000 target. What’s the use of increasing the capacity if we are lagging behind actual tests?” she said.
Binay said she believes that one of the reasons why COVID-19 tests are not being maximized is because of the price.
“Offhand, the way I see it, is because it’s expensive. The test is not affordable. So I think, that is one of the things that should be studied by the government,” she said.