‘Ilabas nyo na ang galing nyo’: Sotto, Hontiveros call on gov’t to act now amid record-high COVID-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines — Saying he is rendered speechless by the record-high number of daily coronavirus cases on Friday, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday said this should prompt the executive department to act now to contain virus transmission

“Whats going on? Whats happening to our Country?” Sotto asked in a Viber message to  reporters.

“Lahat ng galing ng executive department ay ngayon nila ilabas at gamitin. Hindi ko na alam ang sasabihin,” Sotto added.

The new infections pushed the number of cases in the country to 648,066 with 73,264 active cases, 561,902 recoveries, and 12,900  fatalities.

Meanwhile, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Twitter that the surging number of COVID-19 cases makes her afraid for her child who is suffering from a respiratory ailment.

“Numbers don’t lie: We are failing,” she said, apparently a swipe at the previous remark of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic had been “excellent.”

“At 7,103 cases, it’s the worst we’ve EVER had,” Hontiveros further said.

The senator then called for a “systematic plan” before the country reaches a “breaking point.”

She pointed out that the government has not even managed to flatten the curve yet.

“Ang daming nagtatanong kung pang-ilang wave na ba ito. Ang sagot ng WHO ay: 1ST WAVE PA RIN ITO,” Hontiveros said, referring to World Health Organization. “We have NOT flattened the curve yet. And we never will if we remain in denial of the problem and what needs to be done to solve it.”

EDV