Military enforcement of ECQ? Hontiveros says health should be ‘in command’

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of deploying more military personnel to enforce quarantine measures, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the government should lean towards a “stronger health enforcement” to encourage the public to stay inside their homes.

“I think mas importanteng motivation para sa health seeking behavior kesa pa sa takot—back-up na lang yon e diba yung (law) enforcement, dapat talaga ang in command is health,” Hontiveros told reporters in a teleconference on Wednesday.

(I think it is better to have as motivation, a  health-seeking behavior instead of instilling fear. Law enforcement is just a back-up—health should be in command).

“I think we could err more on the side of stronger health enforcement rather than blatant lang na law enforcement let alone military enforcement,” she added.

Hontiveros said improving the dissemination of complete and accurate information about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would help people understand the need to follow quarantine measures set by the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

“Kapag ibinibigay natin ang tama, kompletong impormasyon sa ating mga mamamayan maiintindihan nating lahat bakit kailangang i-observe itong mga health protocols at pati ang iba’t-ibang porma ng quarantine over time,” the senator said.

(If you would give the right, complete information to the public for them to understand why we need to observe these health protocols and other forms of quarantine over time).

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier warned that he would order the military and police to enforce “martial law-like” lockdown measures, as violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) continue to increase.

But Hontiveros said: “Dapat next line of defense lang yung usapin ng takot o yung enforcement. Kaya I think out of place sa diskusyon ngayong panahon ang martial law.”

(Enforcement or instilling fear should only be the next line of defense. That’s why I think martial law is out of place in this discussion).

Hontiveros added that the continued flow of assistance, as well as safety nets for Filipino whose income has been affected by the pandemic, is another way to ensure that people would not leave their homes and risk being infected.

“Kung ang pangaraw-araw na nakasanayan natin ay kailangan pumasok araw-araw para sumahod at mabili ang pagkain at gamot at kung anu-ano pang (pangangailangan ng) ating pamilya ay dapat in place yung ating mga safety nets at social protections,” she added.

(If we’re used to going to work every day to provide for the needs of our family safety nets and social protection should be in place).

The government has already put in place several assistance programs for low-income families as well as workers from the informal and middle-income sectors to help cushion the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

To date, Philippine health officials have so far confirmed 6,599 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of these cases, 437 have died while 654 patients have recovered.

/MUF