MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Friday appealed to the public to stop the “hate campaign” against Chinese people who have flown to other countries, including the Philippines, in the wake of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
Romualdez made the statement following President Duterte’s issuance of a temporary travel ban on Chinese nationals from the nCov-hit areas in China.
Rather than sow hate, the lawmaker instead urged the public to just pray for good health and for the immediate recovery of those who have been affected by the virus.
“Please work for the common good of everyone. Avoid sowing panic. Stop spreading false information and hate campaign against Chinese people,” he said in a statement.
Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor earlier advised the public not to engage in a “hate campaign” against China, saying that Filipinos should instead sympathize with the sick and mourn the lives lost there.
House leaders back travel ban
Romualdez also said that the health department was guided by international health experts when it recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the imposition of a temporary ban on Chinese nationals from Hubei province and other parts of China.
Wuhan City, the place where the virus originated, is located in Hubei.
“President Duterte made a very smart decision to effectively strategize government’s campaign against the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus,” Romualdez said.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano also backed Duterte’s temporary travel ban.
“Nakakasigurado tayo na para sa Pangulo, ang kalusugan ng mga Pilipino ang pinakamahalaga. Kaya naman suportado po natin ang kanyang direktiba tungkol sa “travel ban” sa mga taong nagmumula sa apektadong probinsya sa China,” Cayetano said.
(We are sure that for the President, public health is of utmost importance. That’s why we are supporting his directive with regard to the travel ban on individuals coming from affected provinces in China.)
The House leaders issued the remark a day after the health department confirmed the first case of 2019-nCoV in the country—a Chinese woman who arrived in the country from Wuhan, China via Hong Kong on January 21 before seeking medical attention four days later due to a mild cough.
In China, there are over 9,600 confirmed cases of the new virus with a death toll of at least 213, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
Other countries have also confirmed cases of the virus including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
The WHO has declared global emergency over new coronavirus outbreak.
The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.