Marikina mayor orders relief volunteers' release
Published May 1, 2020 12:00 am
By Jhon Aldrin Casinas
Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro ordered the release of 10 people who were reportedly arrested while conducting relief operations on Friday, saying that they were doing nothing wrong.
Mayor Marcelino Teodoro (Photos courtesy of Marikina LGU / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
According to the city mayor, the local police who made the arrest might have overreacted and could have misinterpreted the placards that the group had brought with them calling for free mass testing.
“Hindi dapat inaresto dahil wala namang ginagawang masama yung mga kababayan natin (They should not be arrested because they are doing nothing wrong),” Teodoro said in a statement.
He pointed out that it is May 1, Labor Day today, and that the group has the freedom to express themselves.
“Maaring may placards silang dala pero May 1 ngayon, eh. Bahagi ito ng pag-e-exercise nitong constitutional rights nila na freedom of expression (They may have placards but today is May 1, Labor Day. It’s part of their exercise of their constitutional rights of freedom of expression),” the mayor explained.
In a statement, Bayanihang Marikenyo and Marikiña condemned the arrest of Bayanihang Kusina volunteers composed of jeepney drivers, together with two pre-school teachers and staff of Lingap Gabriela.
“Kailan pa naging kasalanan ang tumulong sa kapwa? Bakit trinatrato ninyong kriminal ang aming mga kabayan na ang tanging gusto ay makakain ng wasto ang kanilang mga anak? (When has it been a sin to help others? Why do you treat our fellowmen as criminals who only want their children to eat right?),” the group said.
“We have been doing bayanihan since March 14 starting with one kitchen, we now have 30 community kitchens across 10 barangays. We help these communities prepare hot, healthy meals for their children and elderly. It helps them feel empowered and somehow eases their feelings of desperation brought about by this COVID-19 crisis,” it added.
Teodoro noted that the group was conducting relief operations, and that social distancing was strictly observed.
“’Yung mga taong naroroon ay nag paalam naman sa atin para mag bigay ng relief operation at bahagi ito ng relief at humanitarian aid na ibinibigay natin dun sa mga komunidad (The people who are there have asked permission for their relief operation and it's part of the relief and humanitarian aid we give to the communities),” he added
He reiterated that the 10 people that the police officers arrested were doing nothing wrong because they were just expressing their sentiments during their relief operation.
Teodoro said that the placards bear the call for free mass testing to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
He noted that it is in support of his efforts for the conduct of mass testing through the Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory which he initiated.
“Pinapahayag lang nila ang pangangailangan para sa free mass testing. Dahil ‘yung mahihirap ito naman talaga ang hinihingi, eh, ‘yung libreng mass testing para sa ganun alam nila kung positive or negative sila sa COVID-19,” Teodoro said.
(They are just declaring the need for free mass testing. Because the poor are really the ones asking for the free mass testing, for they (want to) know if they are positive or negative for COVID-19).
Also on Friday, Marikina City has started swabbing some of its residents for COVID-19 after the Department of Health (DOH) has accredited its molecular diagnostic laboratory on Thursday.
Teodoro earlier said the laboratory could test at least 400 samples per day using two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, which is considered as the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing.
The mayor said the testing is free, noting that the swabbing will be conducted in hospitals and in the homes of residents who might have been infected with the disease.
Mayor Marcelino Teodoro (Photos courtesy of Marikina LGU / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
According to the city mayor, the local police who made the arrest might have overreacted and could have misinterpreted the placards that the group had brought with them calling for free mass testing.
“Hindi dapat inaresto dahil wala namang ginagawang masama yung mga kababayan natin (They should not be arrested because they are doing nothing wrong),” Teodoro said in a statement.
He pointed out that it is May 1, Labor Day today, and that the group has the freedom to express themselves.
“Maaring may placards silang dala pero May 1 ngayon, eh. Bahagi ito ng pag-e-exercise nitong constitutional rights nila na freedom of expression (They may have placards but today is May 1, Labor Day. It’s part of their exercise of their constitutional rights of freedom of expression),” the mayor explained.
In a statement, Bayanihang Marikenyo and Marikiña condemned the arrest of Bayanihang Kusina volunteers composed of jeepney drivers, together with two pre-school teachers and staff of Lingap Gabriela.
“Kailan pa naging kasalanan ang tumulong sa kapwa? Bakit trinatrato ninyong kriminal ang aming mga kabayan na ang tanging gusto ay makakain ng wasto ang kanilang mga anak? (When has it been a sin to help others? Why do you treat our fellowmen as criminals who only want their children to eat right?),” the group said.
“We have been doing bayanihan since March 14 starting with one kitchen, we now have 30 community kitchens across 10 barangays. We help these communities prepare hot, healthy meals for their children and elderly. It helps them feel empowered and somehow eases their feelings of desperation brought about by this COVID-19 crisis,” it added.
Teodoro noted that the group was conducting relief operations, and that social distancing was strictly observed.
“’Yung mga taong naroroon ay nag paalam naman sa atin para mag bigay ng relief operation at bahagi ito ng relief at humanitarian aid na ibinibigay natin dun sa mga komunidad (The people who are there have asked permission for their relief operation and it's part of the relief and humanitarian aid we give to the communities),” he added
He reiterated that the 10 people that the police officers arrested were doing nothing wrong because they were just expressing their sentiments during their relief operation.
Teodoro said that the placards bear the call for free mass testing to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
He noted that it is in support of his efforts for the conduct of mass testing through the Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory which he initiated.
“Pinapahayag lang nila ang pangangailangan para sa free mass testing. Dahil ‘yung mahihirap ito naman talaga ang hinihingi, eh, ‘yung libreng mass testing para sa ganun alam nila kung positive or negative sila sa COVID-19,” Teodoro said.
(They are just declaring the need for free mass testing. Because the poor are really the ones asking for the free mass testing, for they (want to) know if they are positive or negative for COVID-19).
Also on Friday, Marikina City has started swabbing some of its residents for COVID-19 after the Department of Health (DOH) has accredited its molecular diagnostic laboratory on Thursday.
Teodoro earlier said the laboratory could test at least 400 samples per day using two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, which is considered as the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing.
The mayor said the testing is free, noting that the swabbing will be conducted in hospitals and in the homes of residents who might have been infected with the disease.