"'Armed' Lockdowns doesn't stop the Virus."
(but popular participation against the Virus will do)
(Or: Notes after President Duterte's announcement
calling for a Lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19,
of mobilising armed instead of health personnel,
and the need for people's support for just need to stop the virus)
At first, this note wishes to assure the Filipino folk that in this time of health related crisis everyone ensures well their health and well-bring. For as President Rodrigo Duterte announced recently that Metro Manila will be locked down from March 15 purportedly to stop the spread of the COVID-19.
In this situation, around 12 million people will be barred from traveling to and from the metro, whether by land, air or sea; and furthermore, up to 3 million more workers from nearby provinces will have their movements restrained.
It is unsurprising, for given the president's orderist tendency would say that he doesn't mind how controversial the move is especially after mobiling his armed forces than those of health practitioners, thinking of it more of a "peace and order" than a "health-related" situation; what more that his supporters, with all their optimism towards the regime thinks of it too positively, using words like "rule of law" and all while disregarding its unlikely scenarios.
But on the other hand, through this massive deployment of both military and police may say that it aggravates the problem further, especially in the handling of people in this time of crisis. For in a regime known for its extrajudicial acts and how the president tolerated it as such, seeing armed personnel instead of health workers conducting the lockdown has the potential to "weaponise", worse, to pin down potential dissent especially those who assert a higher state budget for health and social services.
So much for orderism that the regime uses COVID-19 for an armed "lockdown". That by seeing armed vehicles, numerous checkpoints, and of course, men in uniform carrying scanners alongside guns would say that "they are doing their job" both in ensuring peace and order and by expressing a semblance of concern towards Filipino's health and welfare, but this doesn't stop the ridicule especially after by failing to make restitution for cuts in the health budget and its failure to undertake proactive and decisive action at the onset of this virus outbreak.
And to think that Duterte had altogether shrugged ideas of active deployment of health workers and of setting up adequate testing centers to provide accessible and immediate aid in areas affected and instead by deploying both the police and the armed forces, this "lockdown" becomes less of an health-related issue but more of "peace and order" with threats of arrests against those "who will not abide by their rules."
Again, not surprising to see it weaponised, for in line with this matter, the marching order and the massive deployment of both police and armed forces are itself reminiscent of Martial Law in Mindanao and under Marcos regime wherein cases of warrantless arrests and arbitrary detention being pervasive. And with people still having fresh memories of oplans "Tokhang", "Double Barrel" and "Kapanatagan", this may become "weaponised" and expanded further in order to silence potential dissent, specifically in curtailing people's right to protest and to demand immediate assistance to address the spread of COVID-19.
And in speaking of workers, Duterte has not presented concrete plans for Filipino workers in the metro who are gravely affected by this lockdown. For as millions of Filipinos in the metro been forced to return to their homes in the provinces thinking about their safety, others end forced to live with pressed-down incomes, enforced curfews with checkpoints, and under threat of COVID-19 infection. For officially, the Duterte regime claims 52 local cases with five deaths.
With this kind of situation, this "lockdown" hath lead the Metro into a state of pandemonium, if not an outright disaster- that with the president announced unprecedented measures peppered with meandering and contradicting statements, it has brought the people confused, scrambling, struggling to provide access for food, water, medical care, and others needed for this month of isolation. Worse, to see hoarders earlier hoarding medical goods such as medical-grade alcohol, soap, and other disenfectants to be sold in exorbitant prices.
And most government officials seem to have no clearer idea than the folk in general. Duterte's statement is quite confusing to most, with people failing to understand what "community quarantine" means- including health workers responsible for treating suspected COVID-19 patients.
Perhaps, in this time of self-care would say that contentment to the order's statements isn't enough, and no matter the threats given by the order this doesn't stop the concerned from continuously seeking truth from facts. And to think that Duterte failed to praise health practitioners for their work and instead praising Xi Jinping, this note, as any other concerned bid salutations to those who truly worked hard in ensuring the health and well-being of the Filipino folk, in fighting the odds brought by this virus, and to restore hope.
With this kind of situation, this "lockdown" hath lead the Metro into a state of pandemonium, if not an outright disaster- that with the president announced unprecedented measures peppered with meandering and contradicting statements, it has brought the people confused, scrambling, struggling to provide access for food, water, medical care, and others needed for this month of isolation. Worse, to see hoarders earlier hoarding medical goods such as medical-grade alcohol, soap, and other disenfectants to be sold in exorbitant prices.
And most government officials seem to have no clearer idea than the folk in general. Duterte's statement is quite confusing to most, with people failing to understand what "community quarantine" means- including health workers responsible for treating suspected COVID-19 patients.
Perhaps, in this time of self-care would say that contentment to the order's statements isn't enough, and no matter the threats given by the order this doesn't stop the concerned from continuously seeking truth from facts. And to think that Duterte failed to praise health practitioners for their work and instead praising Xi Jinping, this note, as any other concerned bid salutations to those who truly worked hard in ensuring the health and well-being of the Filipino folk, in fighting the odds brought by this virus, and to restore hope.
And in speaking of that hope, hope that the people, despite being "assured by the state" and prepared for this health-related matter, does not stop from seeking truth from facts and to expose, oppose the inconveniences the inutile and incompetent government does to the Folk- of countering false narratives with facts, of exposing the order using "rule of law" as basis for their stupidity, or how that the order uses this scenario as a prequel to a much unlikely one.
Also in line with this, this note calls on the Filipino folk to demand for adequate and accessible testing and health service centres, of mobilising health workers over those of state armed forces, cooperation between state, academe, and industry for national interest amidst the outbreak, and for greater state budget for health, social services, and science and technology altogether to contain this virus-laced onslaught.