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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Arroyo prods world leaders to 'rise and fight as one'

Arroyo prods world leaders to 'rise and fight as one'

Published Mar 28, 2020 04:49 am

Instead of fault-finding, leaders of the world should “rise and fight as one” to end the international terror caused by 2019 coronavirus disease (CoViD 19), former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on March 28.

Former Philippine President Gloria M. Arroyo (Facebook)

Former Philippine President Gloria M. Arroyo (Facebook)

In a statement, Arroyo specifically mentioned China as the object of finger-pointing and blame-throwing.

“Blaming China for one as the alleged culprit in this viral outbreak has been rejected as stigmatizing and counterproductive action by the World Health Organization,” said Arroyo, former House of Representatives speaker and chairperson emeritus of the Association for Philippines China Understanding (APCU).

She pointed out that the deadly coronavirus “does not respect national borders and will affect every country.”

“We rise and fight as one to overcome this health emergency,” the former chief executive stressed.

China has been getting the flak for the CoViD 19 pandemic, apparently due to the fact that the feared disease was first reported in Wuhan City.

“We can only allow finger-pointing and fault-finding at our own peril,” said Arroyo.

According to her people are now facing a pandemic that is unprecedented in its “destructive impact to public health, economies and social fabric since World War II.”

“Amid inadequate facilities and at great risk to their well-being, health workers are doing the front liner’s heroic task of attending to the rapidly increasing number of infected patients,” Arroyo noted.

She said: Governments have come up with radical measures like travel quarantine and lock downs to contain the contagion.
At this critical time of struggle against the pandemic, solidarity is indispensable.”

During her term as president, Arroyo led the nation in battling the threat of SARS-CoV or severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus. (Ben R. Rosario)

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