MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday said it is “unacceptable” how thousands of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) are being managed and crammed together at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
“What they are doing in Rizal (Stadium) is unacceptable. That is negligence on the part of whoever organized it,” Moreno told reporters at the launch of the city’s third COVID-19 walk-in testing facility.
Moreno said the organizers should rethink their strategy in facilitating the program.
“I am being fair with our observation. Rethink the approach. The principle is noble, the idea is good pero kapag mayroong glitches (if there are glitches), we have to bounce back,” he said.
He also mentioned about proper coordination.
“Kung yun may coordination, logic will dictate what is right among men. Unang una ilalagay mo yang 6,000 sa bleacher ng walang nagpu-pulis, walang nagbabantay,” Moreno said.
(If that program has coordination, logic will dictate what is right among men, if there is coordination. First and foremost you put 6,000 people at the bleacher with no one guarding the area.)
He added that the LSIs cannot be blamed for what has happened at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
“Hindi din kasalanan ng LSI dun sila dinala eh. Ano bang malay nila? At malamang nagulat din sila, andami pala natin,” he added.
(LSIs are not at fault because they were brought there. What do they know? Of course, they would be surprised that there are a lot of people there.)
He also lamented that the organizers did not even bother putting trash bins around the stadium.
“Paano kung walang pamahalaang lungsod ng Maynila? Edi hanggang ngayon nangangamoy basura yung stadium,” he further said.
(What if the local government is not there? Then we the stadium would still smell like trash.)
“But imbes na mag-pointing-fingers tayo, o magtuuruan, we call their attention. We observe, we manage, we deal with it at may awa ang Diyos, makaraos sila at masaya ako makabalik sila sa kanya kanyang probinsya,” Moreno added.
(Instead of pointing fingers, we call their attention. We observe, we manage, we deal with it and God has mercy on us, they will get through this and I am happy that they will return to their respective provinces.)
Thousands of stranded people who have availed of the government’s transportation program, Hatid Probinsya program were crammed inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila which violated physical distancing protocols of coronavirus quarantine.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año previously said around 2,000 stranded individuals still remain at the stadium. He said the stranded persons are set to return to their provinces on Thursday, July 30.
The DILG is one of the government agencies that is involved in the Hatid Probinsya program.