At least two senators on Sunday, May 9, urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to provide masks to health protocol violators, saying they should instill discipline but must show compassion to these people.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said the PNP should be ready to provide violators of COVID-19 protocol with face masks as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic.
“As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I do agree that we need to be strict with the implementation of these protocols to stop the spread of the disease,” Go said in a statement.
“But we also need to show compassion to our people who can’t follow because of their poor circumstances and also due to lack of information,” he pointed out.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, likewise, agree that President Duterte’s directive to the PNP should be taken both ways.
Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, urged critics of the government to heed the necessary health protocols to curb the spike of the COVID-19 cases in the country.
“Some of these militants would immediately claim human rights violations and say militarization or martial law is not the solution to the pandemic,” Dela Rosa said in a radio DZRH interview.
“And yet if the COVID-19 cases spike, they will still curse the government and accuse it of being unable to do anything to stop it. It’s ‘damn if you do, damn if you don’t’ for the government,” he lamented.
“So in my assessment, this government should just do what it needs to do, especially during this time of a pandemic. Because we are talking of a lives here,” he stressed.
Go said he reminded authorities of the need to instill discipline while showing compassion to the poor and vulnerable sectors in order for them to comply with the necessary guidelines to keep communities safe from COVID.
“Nakakaawa rin naman po ang Pilipino, lalong-lalo nap o ang mga walang face mask (Some Filipinos are also in a dire situation, especially those who have no face mask),” Go said.
“Pero marami din dyang mga pasaway rin talaga, dahil hindi nila alam na delikado po talaga itong COVID-19 na sakit (but there are also some who are just stubborn, they do not know that this COVID-19 is a dangerous disease),” he lamented.