Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday said President Duterte’s militaristic approach to the COVID-19 pandemic would only worsen the country’s health emergency crisis.

De Lima said she is disappointed that the President still does not understand that the government needs a “surgical precision tool” to solve the country’s problem on the pandemic.

“Magiging mas malala ang ating sitwasyon hangga’t hindi napapalitan ang pag-iisip ng nasa Palasyo, at hangga’t ang tingin nila ay ang mga tao ang problema, at hindi sarili nilang kakulangan at kapalpakan (Our situation will only worsen if Palace officials do not change the way they think and until now believe that the people are the problem and not their own deficiency and flubdub),” De Lima said in a statement.

The President earlier disclosed his plans to tap the military to augment the police force in implementing the quarantine protocols. But critics say the move is tantamount to militarizing the government’s response to the pandemic.

The detained senator also said deploying the military is also the President’s way of showing the public his administration is doing its part in fighting the pandemic.

De Lima reiterated deploying the military to man civilian communities is only needed if there is lawless violence, rebellion or invasion or as part of humanitarian assistance as stated under the Constitution.