Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said Tuesday, Sep. 21, that he will look into alleged discrimination against COVID-19 patients in the municipality of Pateros after the local government supposedly placed yellow ribbons in front of the houses of infected residents.
Asked for comment about the move by the local government, Abalos said he would talk to Mayor Ike Ponce first to ask for an explanation.
"Actually noong isang araw ko lang narinig po ito at kakausapin ko po si Mayor Ike kung ano, dahil hindi po masyado malinaw sakin yung nangyari po rito eh (I just learned of this last day. I will talk to Mayor Ike about this because it's not yet clear to me what's this about)," Abalos said in DZRH interview.
"Wag po kayong mag alala, mag-uusap kami mamaya. Aalamin ko lang pong maigi kung ito ba'y ginawa nila or voluntary ba (Don't worry, we will talk later. I will ask about this, if this is being forced upon or voluntary)," he added.
On Monday, Sep. 20, Ponce implied he was seeing nothing wrong in placing yellow ribbons in houses of infected patients as he said they were only used to identify households under granular lockdown.
In an Unang Hirit interview, he said, they were only "for effective monitoring" and "for efficient delivery of services."
He added that the placement of yellow ribbons is also not forced upon and "purely voluntary."