"Expose Duterte's utter disregard for Public Health and Welfare
amidst Coronavirus Outbreak!"
By Kat Ulrike
At first, it is quite lamenting that the Filipino people are now on the receiving end after President Rodrigo Duterte's utter disregard for the country's welfare especially after the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak. From his indifference shown and the downplaying statements, Duterte has made aloofness a policy, spurning responsibility as a head of state to take action against the possible spread of virus which has now hit various countries.
By emphasising China's relation over those of the people's welfare, Duterte rather focus on his vested interests until widespread condemnation hath forced the administration to accede to a travel ban from the virus' country of origin- as the World Health Organisation declared the virus outbreak a Public Health Emergency, with governments around the world, including China have decidedly taken immediate, if not drastic measures to control the spread of virus.
However, despite this, Duterte's utter disregard to focus on the people's welfare has aggravated popular criticism. That with his "business as usual" policy instead of immediate procurement of gas masks, along with a decreased budget on health and social services especially for the poor has showed the failure to support efforts in controlling the spread of disease.
With this, the concerned has made the present administration accountable for its initial aloofness and johnny-come-lately approach to this matter as opposed to its active stance during the past years that controlled the spread of diseases such as "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome" SARS, "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome" MERS, and others. And along with a widespread campaign in taking precautions the concerned must also push for government health and welfare subsidies especially for the poor who are vulnerable to these problems, and to remain vigilant especially against those who are using this virus outbreak as a tendency to exploit and bleed the people.