‘COVID-19 is the enemy, not government,’ Duterte tells critics
MANILA, Philippines — “COVID is the enemy, not government.”
President Rodrigo Duterte said this Sunday night as he reminded critics that the government was doing its job amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Government is trying to control [the spread of COVID-19]. As a matter of fact, the government put you in prison in your house. But then what happened? So many did not follow [the rules],” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.
Duterte specifically mentioned residents of Cebu province — which recently saw a spike in infections — for supposedly violating quarantine protocols.
“As I see it, nothing seems to have happened. Everyone was riding motorcycles. So I was complaining. You know, I’m telling you, we were having a Cabinet meeting about this Cebu. You’re [conducting] life [with a] nonchalant [attitude] — as if there’s nothing wrong,” he said.
The government has been heavily criticized for supposedly focusing on other less pressing issues —like passing the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and shutting down ABS-CBN — instead of concentrating its efforts on COVID-19 response.
On Sunday, the Department of Health reported 5,032 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the country’s total caseload to 103,185. It is considered the highest single-day jump on record in the country.
More than half or 55,808 of the total infections nationwide are in Metro Manila.
The country’s death toll climbed to 2,059 while the recoveries reached 65,557.
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