Youth and students were urged by former Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay to demand accountability from the government especially for its COVID-19 programs.

He said they should always be vigilant to hold the government accountable.

Speaking before students of San Beda College, Binay said the government’s pandemic response is being funded by P10.77 trillion in foreign loans “to be paid for by you, and the future generations.”

“It is therefore only proper that we ask government, or rather, demand from government that they spend every peso wisely, that they ensure that these borrowings go to programs that address the needs of millions of Filipinos and help our economy recover,” he said.

“In short, we should expect and demand accountability. This is not the time to be silent,” he added.

In the online forum organized by Republic, an organization of San Beda political science students, Binay said the pandemic will define the country’s national situation in the months to come.

“Our national and local economies continue to suffer losses. Businesses are closing down, with millions of Filipinos losing their jobs,” he said.

Binay warned that unless the government improves the country’s health system, upgrades contact tracing and mass testing, and vaccinates a large segment of the population, the country will go through “a prolonged period of hard and loose lockdowns, or peaks and drops in infections and in the number of recoveries and deaths.”

“Not only will this strain the economy but it will impact negatively on the physical and mental well-being of our citizens,” he said.

Binay said the government should focus on the pandemic and not on red-tagging certain groups and even undertakings like the community pantries.

The former vice president said the government should focus on the pandemic, and not on red-tagging certain groups and even undertakings like the community pantries.