Robredo urges gov’t to fix system in helping stranded Filipinos amid quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday urged the government to fix its system in helping stranded Filipinos return home following the recent death of Michelle Silvertino, a single mom who died after she was left stranded in Pasay waiting for a bus ride home.

In an interview with radio program “BISErbisyong Leni,” Robredo decried Silvertino’s death, saying they could have given her an immediate ride to Camarines Sur.

“Nakakaawa eh. Kasi kung alam niya sana kung kailan siya makakasakay, kung alam niya sana kung saan siya pupunta, hindi ito nangyari. Ito, iyong sama nga ng loob ko, sana nalaman namin nang mas maaga. Sana nalaman namin nang mas— Nalaman namin, patay na eh. Sana man lang naasikaso natin,” Robredo said when asked about Silvertino’s death.

(It is heartbreaking. If she knew when she would be able to get a ride or if she knew where she needed to go to get a ride, this would have not happened. This was what I am mad about, if only we knew about this sooner. When we found out about it, she had already died. I wish we could’ve assisted her.)

READ: Stranded mother dies after waiting for bus ride to Camarines Sur at Edsa footbridge

“Pero ilan pa ba iyong magiging ganito kapag hindi maayos iyong sistema? Kapag hindi maayos iyong sistema, ang dami pang ganito,” she added.

(But how many more cases like this will happen if the system can’t be fixed? If the system is not fixed, we will have more cases like these.)

Robredo said the Pasay government called her up on the evening of June 4 to request a means of transportation for Silvertino. But it was too late, since the bus her office had arranged was scheduled to leave on June 6. Silvertino died in the early hours of June 5.