Published by Bayan Metro Manila
After filing charges against so-called ‘quarantine and curfew violators’ authorities are now summoning innovative leaders like Vico Sotto.
It confirms our suspicion that Republic Act 11469, which gives additional special powers to President Rodrigo Duterte in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, is drafted to undermine the independence of LGUs.
The Duterte government should stop using its emergency powers to engage in partisan politics and start doing something useful like the fast distribution of relief to millions of households.
Requiring the Pasig Mayor to leave the frontlines and appear before NBI investigators could hamper the delivery of vital social service programs to poor households in the city. It is needless distraction at a time when local leaders must be focused in performing their duties.
It is a selective application of the law to harass innovative leaders like Vico. The young mayor was praised for arguing the need to allow limited tricycle operations to transport health workers in the city.
Section 6 penalizes LGU officials “disobeying national government policies or directives in imposing quarantines.” It provides for an additional penalty of “perpetual, temporary absolute disqualification from office.”
While we understand the importance of a unified response in dealing with COVID-19, we also recognize that LGUs must be allowed to modify their plan of action to better address the needs of their constituents according to their evidence-based crisis assessment.
This principle is important to uphold especially if the national government standards are not applicable for implementation in some LGUs. This also becomes an imperative doctrine if the national government is delayed in conducting essential solutions like mass testing in communities and deployment of protective measures for frontliners.
Obeying the national government makes sense if it is implementing a comprehensive action plan to fight COVID-19. Disobeying it is a patriotic and humane act if based on a rational review that its purported measures are actually misguided and ineffective.
The Duterte government intends to create fear and deter people from protesting and disobeying its directives through mass arrests and intimidating a popular LGU leader like Vico. It has obviously underestimated the people’s growing outrage over the government’s incompetence in dealing with the public health crisis.
People first before petty politicking. Prioritize relief and not loyalty check for the government.
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