"Extraordinary Powers: salvaging the rotten order pretending they're saving the nation from a viral matter"

"Extraordinary Powers: salvaging the rotten order 

pretending they're saving the nation from a viral matter"

(Or: All after Duterte, the Congress, 

and the Extraordinary powers meant to save the country 

from Coronavirus)

Perhaps, this government is now in a tight spot.

For as the Duterte administration got "emergency powers" from the legislature, along with the creation of the "National Action Plan" whose members are those of military and police backgrounds, the president, along with his camarilla, cannot come up with ruses anymore.

For on the first place, why involve the police and the military when what the country needs is a combined health and a socioeconomic plan? Is it for security's sake? Stability? As far as this person concerned is that the order, other than plain call for obedience, doesn't even provide immediate aid to its constituents, worse, reprimanding those who has the initiative to do so.

Just like in the case of Pasig with Vico Sotto got reprimanded by the president, or Marikina whose mayor was discouraged by the Health Department to allow the its Molecular Laboratory to conduct coronavirus testings, the order, this time having extraordinary powers meant to "control this virus-filled situation" may gone weaponised as ever in order to reinforce his rulership. Wouldn't be surprised if the Interior and Local Government Department, a member of the "Task Force against COVID19" also wanted to boot out the ones elected by the people in order for an "obedient" officer-in-charges to take over their places; what more to see the order's "thought police" being mobilised in social media sites to root out for dissent in the name of "spreading false reports" and "propagating hate".

And to think that State takeover of utilities may sound "good" to those who wished for necessary control of water, power, and telecommunications given this sorry situation affecting consumers; this may also be "pleasing to the ears" to those who actively supported the administration.

And all these, again, far from the very intent of controlling the situation let alone impose his orderism with his authoritarian will-and wouldn't be surprised if he, with the urging of his camarilla would declare "martial law" like what happened in 1972, using "discipline" as an alibi for his "aggrandizement."

But this doesn't hide the fact that this granting of extraordinary powers underscores the order's gross incompetence and failure to address the country's public health matter. By having cut the health budget has rendered public health facilities, especially hospitals incapable of handling this situation; what more of shunning plans for mass testing along with isolation and treatment of the growing number of patients affected by this disease while favours government officials given priority in testing in the face of the scarcity of testing kits.

Again, the government is in a tight spot, it got everything it wished for, but the question is, will they willing to face the blame by the folk who's sick and tired of contradicting statements, adlibs, and various sorts of threats.

***

Perhaps, to cut this note short, that amidst this nonsense brought by the order, hope that this health crisis be averted, whether by a miracle from above, or simply through a continuous and trustworthy support in each and every concerned folk (especially the frontliners and concerned members of the government) with or without the order itself.

For after all, what the order did is to brag what is actually carryovers just to hid its ugliest truths.