(Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya)
PANDEMIC
According to the DOH itself, as of August 23, 1.86 million Filipinos has been infected with the COVID-19.It is recorded that the highest rate of infection in a single day record at 18,332 and deaths at 31,961 as of August 23, 2021. The Lambda and the dreaded Delta variants are already in the country further exacerbating the condition.
According to Statista Research Department, 64% of every Filipino household have at least one member in the family who lost their jobs included in the 4.5 million who lost their jobs during the pandemic. According to the Philippine Statistics Office, cases of underemployment also spiked at 14.2% last June 2021.
World Bank reported that hunger worsened . 17 students were reportedly committed suicide last October 2020 due to lack of gadgets and internet connection needed for their online classes, as per the records of SPARK (Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan). And according to the Human Rights Watch, from April to July of 2020 alone EJKs rose by 50%. Meanwhile domestic violence rose from 5-8 cases daily according to Mayor Belmonte of Quezon City (inquirer.net 5/26/20).
Not yet on the records are the numbers of the mentally depressed, the hopeless and those who suffred nervous breakdowns.
GOVERNMENT
In the onslaught of the CVID-19 Pandemic, it is evident that there are no clear course of plans and actions by the Duterte government. Based on the studies of People’s Health Movement, a global network of experts and academics, Philippines has the longest and strictest lockdowns, recurring yet ineffective. The policy undertaken by the Duterte government is militaristic instead of scientific. Blaming, shaming, and some others killed by opposing the draconian and militaristic policies. The iron fist policy will not work in a situation that needs a scientific approach.
The CONTRACT TRACING is so weak if ever there is. TESTING is so expensive and if ever a free swab test will be administered it is very selective. Health workers are utterly demoralized being ill-equipped and due to very own compensation and even blamed for the slow TREATMENT of those afflicted in overburdened hospitals and health facilities. The TEST, TRACE and TREAT must be prioritized instead of castigating the health workers, hospitals, and critics while the infections and deaths remains unabated. Meanwhile, these draconian measures are to be blamed for the inept response to the pandemic.
While other countries are making huge strides in their national vaccination programs the Philippines is only able to vaccinate 11.8% of its population. As per the WHO records 12.7 million of the 110 million Filipino population. Many poor families are also in unrest because the government aid does not reach them and even protested, “We do not have aids and still no vaccines.”
Getting vaccinated is not the problem, the real problem is the lack of vaccine supply and the roll-out. Where is the PhP 75 billion DOH budget for the purchase of the much needed vaccines? Where are the funds for Bayanihan 1& 2? As of June of 2021 our debts has reached 11.1 trillion and could balloon to 13 trillion according to the Bureau of Treasury. The Duterte administration has the record of biggest debt in history , 6 times higher than all the Post EDSA governments combined.
Instead of giving and spending the funds for the people, why the PCOO have to hire 375 contractual “social media experts” when in fact so many falsehoods can be detected from its website? For what is the 7.6 million budget of an office that peddled fake news like what they did to the Manila Mayor Isko Moreno wherein they altered what was written on his shirt – “vaccines to the nation” and made “foot spa to the nation.”
The billions missing from government agencies like DOH, DA, DFA, DSWD, DepEd, CHED, DOLE DILG is alarming as per the COA reports. This is just like the missing billions worth of illegal drugs that was found out inside the magnetic metal filters under the nose of the PNP and PDEA officials.Drugs and corruption was not solved in 3-6 months as promised, instead if further worsened throughout the country.
Besmirching the critics’ reputation, political and moral corruption, violence, ugly politicking, selling off our sovereignty on our national territories in the West Philippine Sea to the Communist China have been the norm of the Duterte government. Instead of unifying us as a country, we have been divided, we are pitted against each other by false binaries of yellow elitists and red terrorist for critics vs the government.
AN APPEAL
For our countrymen, let us know the truth and propagate it. We must not be intimidated to expose the wrongs and evil for it is a sin of omission and disobedience to the law of god. Do not laugh and cheer to the profanities in speeches. Let us not close our eyes and be silent while our helpless countrymen are abused and butchered. Our silence is a sin and a bigger one because according to the lord jesus and the apostles,
“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:26-28)
It is our duty as Christians and Catholics to supress lies, for it is written
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Let us choose what is good. Avoid the wrong and evil. Let us condemn the sin but not the sinners. Let us pray for the repentance of the sinful. All of us are god’s creatures cretaed in the image of god and redeemed by the lord jesus christ. Let us pray for one another so that the whole humanity can enter the kingdom of god.
As christians and catholics, let us not allow the evil to rule our land. Let us all open our eyes. Raise the dignity of the human person. Fight for what is right. Fight the evil.
Let us choose pro-god and pro-humanity leaders of our country in the coming elections.
Let us expose corruptions and fight for justice.
Let us continue to pray while holding our ground because mercy is God’s but the legwork is ours.
SIGNED
Bishop Antonio R. Tobias Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr.
