Senate President Vicente Sotto III has expressed his frustration over the "hard-headedness" of some people despite the lingering COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

Sotto backtracked on Monday night and said the government's health protocols should not be blamed solely for the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country. He said the National Capital Region (NCR) should be reverted to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the public's "hard-headedness".

"While watching the news tonight (Monday), I take back what I said about health protocols. Ang tigas ng ulo natin (We are so hard-headed)! Dapat ECQ na ulit (We should be placed under ECQ again)," Sotto said in Viber message to reporters.

"Kaya pala ang bilis ng pagtaas ng COVID sa atin (That was why COVID-19 infections increase rapidly in our country). Not because there are more mass testings now but because we are so hard headed. Nasa kalsada, nag-iinuman, nagpaparty, labas ng labas, ayaw mag mask sa ilong -- iba talaga tayo (People are out in streets, partying, going out, do not wear masks -- we are really extraordinary)!" he lamented.

Sotto issued the statement following the arrest of 121 individuals in a bar in Makati City on Sunday night, amid the general community quarantine (GCQ) being enforced in Metro Manila to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The Makati police said the arrested persons crowded the bar and violated physical distancing.

In an online interview on Tuesday, however, Sotto clarified he said his remarks were only because of his frustration on the complacency of people who ignore the threat of the pandemic.

He acknowledged that the government can no longer impose anew the ECQ since the country's economy has already suffered much.

"It's an expression of my frustration, na makita on my part na after 100 days na parang walang katakot-takot 'yong mga kababayan natin (to see on my part that after 100 days of being under quarantine, our countrymen seemed unworried)," Sotto told reporters.

"I think there is something wrong with the attitude, there is something wrong with the character being seen among us. Parang tingin nila tapos na yong problema, wala na, sige lang, labas nang labas (They think the problem is over, that they are no longer mindful about going out). Nawala na pag-iingat, eh dangerous (There is no caution anymore, when it's still dangerous)," he pointed out.

Still, the Senate leader thought that the government should not fully ease its quarantine policies, which he said "significantly" helped in controlling the pandemic. 

"It's better if the government will be selective and retain GCQ in some areas in the National Capital Region," he proposed.

Sotto said that while the government's COVID-19 response was not perfect, and that he thinks "majority" of Filipinos are heeding health warnings and protocols, all should take part in addressing the health crisis.

"Hindi pupwedeng puro sa gobyerno lang (We should not just expect the government to solve this)...Kailangan ang responsibilidad nasa atin din (We must also share the responsibility). We should share the responsibility with government," he appealed.

Senators earlier raised alarm over the World Health Organization (WHO) findings that the Philippines has the fastest surge of COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific region in just two weeks.

This, despite the stringent quarantine rules imposed all over the country, which was said to be one of longest lockdowns in the world.

Sotto had said that "something was very wrong" with the government's programs on COVID-19 response. He later cited the delays in the health department's contact tracing efforts and lack of "aggressive" research on medications.

On Tuesday, Sotto maintained that the government should "fix" the delays with its COVID-19 testing program, among other issues.

The GCQ imposed in Metro Manila and several other provinces in the country is set to lapse today, June 30. President Duterte is set to announce the new quarantine policies for these areas before the day ends.