Robredo backs lockdown extension

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo said Sunday she will support an extension of the enhanced community quarantine, but underscored that it was “crucial” for the government to explain to the people why it was necessary and that assistance should be expedited.

Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., the commander of the national task force against the new coronavirus disease (COVID-2019), said Saturday they are studying a possible extension of the Luzon-wide quarantine for 15 to 20 days.

“Information at pag-asikaso ng pangangailangan nila ay napakahalaga,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

(The most important things are giving the public information and tending to their needs.)

Based on current projections, she said an extension would further flatten the curve.

“Pero crucial para mag-cooperate ang mga tao, crucial na naiintindihan nila kung bakit kailangan gawin. Kung hindi nila naiintindihan bakit kailangan gawin, ‘yung resistance nandyan,” she said.

(It’s crucial that for people to cooperate, they need to understand why we need to do this. If they can’t understand why, there will be resistance.

The vice president also believes that the local government units instead of the Department of Social Welfare and Development would know better about the processing the national government’s social amelioration program.

“Ako naniniwala ako na ang LGU ang dapat gumagawa nito..Ang LGU yung may sense kung ano talaga ang nangyayari on the ground, LGU ang nakakaalam ng landscape,” she said.

(I believe that the LGUs are the ones who need to do this… The LGUs know what really is happening on the ground, they know the landscape.)

“Maglagay na lang ng maraming safety nets para naiiwasan yung kinatatakutan na korupsyon, Pero kung dahil sa takot sa korupsyon, hindi ito makarating on time sa mga tao, I think yun ang bigger problem,” she added.

(Let’s put many safety nets so that we can avoid the dreaded corruption. If aid doesn’t reach the public on time due to corruption, I think that’s the bigger problem.)