Duterte: Science only thing keeping me from reopening pandemic-hit economy

President Rodrigo Duterte holds a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on June 30, 2020. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said science is the only thing keeping him from completely reopening the economy amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a taped speech aired Tuesday morning, Duterte said he was also “mad,” like other Filipinos, for being cooped up in his residence in Malacañang for months due to the  COVID-related lockdown.

“I am as mad as you. Galit ako pareho tayo, sa nangyari. Ginusto ninyo na buksan ko na ang puerta. Gusto ko ‘yan. Gusto ko, ang ang nagpipigil na lang sakin ang science,” Duterte said.

(Just like you, I am mad with what’s happening. You wanted me to open the doorway. I want that. I want, but what holding me back is science.)

“Gusto ko, kasi ako nagalit, pati ako nakulong ng ilang buwan. Naging inutile na din ako, I have become except for the voluminous papers, na inutile na ako wala na akong magawa.”

(I want, because I got mad, even I was locked up for months. I was also became ineffective, I have become except for the voluminous papers, I became ineffective and there is nothing I can do.)

But the President acknowledged that some countries are now facing a resurgence of the COVID-19 cases after reopening their economies despite warnings from health experts.

In mid-March, Duterte placed the entire Luzon, home to around half of the country’s total population, under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) just days after a botched attempt to limit the movement of the people living and working inside Metro Manila.

The lockdown has since been eased with Metro Manila—the country’s economic center— staying under general community quarantine (GCQ) for over six weeks now.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque bared that Duterte initially agreed to place the capital region back to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from July 16 to 31 as recommended by experts from the University of the Philippines.

However, the Chief Executive changed his mind after COVID-19 response Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año “passionately” argued to keep Metro Manila under GCQ and give its mayors a chance to improve on implementing quarantine protocols.

To date, there are 68,898 COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 23,072 recoveries and 1,835 deaths.

JPV

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