FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (right). INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration seem to be living in Disneyland and completely oblivious to reality as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said on Wednesday.
Moreno said he has tried to keep his mouth shut to avoid lecturing administration officials about COVID-19 in the country. However, it is difficult to get officials to listen to the people when they keep playing deaf to their needs.
He said that it seems the administration is clueless about what’s happening on the ground — hence remarking that his requests for COVID-19 medicines Remdesivir and Tocilizumab are merely politicking.
“Testigo kayo: maraming beses na, na pinipigilan ko ang damdamin ko eh, dahil ayaw ko nang away. Ayaw ko talaga, kasi ang away walang mabuting idudulot eh. Pero ang hirap kausap ng bingi, ang hirap kausap ng bungol, eh sa atin wala kasi silang idea, sila namumuhay sa Disneyland,” Moreno said.
(You witnessed this: There were several times I stopped expressing myself because I didn’t want fights. I really don’t want that because it would not do anything well. But it’s hard to talk with people playing deaf because they have no idea of how we are faring; they are already living at Disneyland.)
The mayor then urged President Duterte to fire officials who were insensitive to COVID-19 patients and set aside politics and spend on medicines instead because people die when they bicker.
He also hinted again that politics could wait until October — which is when politicians file their certificates of candidacy.
“Ako nananawagan ha, buong kababaang loob — gusto nyo lumuhod pa ako, Mr. President, nananawagan ako sa’yo, tanggalin niyo mga taong walang malasakit sa kapwa niya. Anyway kakaharapin ko naman kayo sa Oktrubre. Pero bago dumating ang Oktubre, bumili muna kayo ng tocilizumab ngayon,” Moreno noted.
(I am pleading, humbly pleading, Mr. President, I am calling on to you to fire people who have no sympathy for their fellow Filipinos. Anyway, we will face these issues come October. But before October comes, why don’t you buy tocilizumab first.)
“Kasi ngayong nagke-kwentuhan tayo dito, kanya-kanya tayong pa-kara dito, may nangamamatay ngayon. ‘Yan ang katotohanan ng buhay baka lang hindi niyo lang alam, kaya, Mr. President, nakikisuyo naman kami, nangako ka naman sa amin eh, tanggalin mo na ‘yong mga taong walang malasakit at walang modo at kung sumagot pabalang-balang, na para bang ang buhay namin walang kwenta,” he added.
(Because while we talk here, while we make our own cases, people are dying. That’s the truth of life, in case you didn’t know, so Mr. President, I am asking you, you promise us things, please remove people with no heart for the people and those who answer rudely as if they are not concerned about people’s lives.)
Moreno’s rants were just a few of the things he said on Wednesday, days after Harry Roque accused him of politicking.
Roque stated that Moreno was just trying to score points to court voters for his national campaign in 2022 when he requested medicines for COVID-19 patients and claimed that face shields weren’t necessary.
READ: Isko Moreno to gov’t: Use science to prove face shields protect vs COVID-19
Moreno earlier asked how his statements could be viewed as politicking when he was seeking is sorely needed.
READ: Isko fires back at Roque: It isn’t politics to argue people need medicines, not face shields
As the COVID-19 surge dominated by the Delta variant led the country to break all previous records, Moreno called on the government to buy more medicines and health equipment for the virus rather than face shields.
Currently, the country has 158,637 active COVID-19 cases, after the Department of Health recorded 18,012 new infections on Tuesday. This comes on the heels of three straight days with over 20,000 new infections.
READ: PH logs 18,012 fresh cases of COVID-19