Locsin warns ‘house arrest’ of seniors amid pandemic might hurt economy

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. did not hold back when he expressed his disagreement over a supposed move to bar senior citizens in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) from leaving their homes.

On Twitter, Locsin voiced his frustration after other members of the Cabinet have proposed to keep older people, considered as one of the most vulnerable to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), out of the streets.

“Go ahead, house arrest seniors with disposal incomes — and let’s see how far the economy goes — one a half and flat on its face—with just the young unemployed running around malls taking selfies without a f*^king cent in their pockets,” Locsin said in a tweet.

Go ahead, house arrest seniors with disposal incomes—and let's see how far the economy goes—one a half and flat on its face—with just the young unemployed running around malls taking selfies without a f*^king cent in their pockets. https://t.co/NPBrr2PVWl

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 30, 2020

Lawmakers and senior citizens alike asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to reconsider the said quarantine protocol.

However, on Thursday, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who is also a member of the IATF-EID, clarified that senior citizens who are actively working or are managing businesses will still be allowed to go outside their residences during the enforcement of the GCQ.

The trade secretary said that the task force is not putting the elderly under “house arrest,” noting that the ban was simply an “overall policy” since the age group is prone to the virus.

Under the GCQ order, senior citizens are not allowed to leave their homes to protect them from contracting the virus.

Several lawmakers on Wednesday called on the IATF-EID to reconsider the move as they noted that leaving senior citizens at home, especially those who do not have company, could be dangerous.

The Commission on Human Rights has also asked the national government to reconsider the travel restrictions imposed on senior citizens.

EDV