Frontliners evicted by landlords may seek shelter, food from gov’t – Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 Medical frontliners evicted by their landlords from their apartments and dormitories can seek billeting from the government, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.

The President said frontliners could directly contact Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19, so that they could be provided with a place to stay near their workplace.

“All you health workers evicted from your dwelling — [whether] you’re renting a room or a house or what-not —  because you’re a frontliner of COVID, you are being evicted because of the unfounded fear you might spread the landlords. If this happens, you can call directly the office of Secretary Galvez and we will provide you with the necessary billeting,” Duterte, speaking partly in Filipino, said in his taped speech.

“We’ll even provide food, and we will choose a place nearest to where you are working,” he added.

Meanwhile, Duterte warned that he would warn landlords against evicting frontliners.

“Just tell me the name of the owner of the building, the owner of the boarding house, and  I will call their attention publicly so that if they should get sick they would not be admitted to any hospital. Maybe that’s better — tit for tat. Well, anyway, I’m joking,” he said.

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