Saddening, lamentable
IT is certainly saddening and lamentable to see supporters of national candidates not observing minimum health and safety protocols during campaign sorties.
Note that during last Tuesday’s start of the 90-day official campaign period for the May 9 presidential, congressional and local polls, people were seen not wearing masks.
Others who attended the candidates’ proclamation rallies in different parts of the country that day were observed violating the government’s social distancing policy.
No less than Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire was reported to have said “it’s kind of worrisome that we are seeing these mass gatherings and big events.”
Vergeire described the enforcement of health and safety protocols as “really weak,” adding that montoring should be there and sanctions should be enforced.
We share the view of Undersecretary Vergeire, concurrently DOH national spokesperson, that candidates and local government officials ought to enforce these protocols.
Let’s not forget that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has killed millions of people throughout the world, including more than 54,000 Pinoys, is highly contagious.
In fact, a total of 3,623,176 of our countrymen, many of them elderly, have contracted the dreaded disease, which reportedly originated from Wuhan province in China.
Thus, we urge concerned government authorities to strictly implement state-decreed health and safety protocols during the 90-day election campaign period.
Kung hindi ay baka balik uli tayo sa mga “paralyzing lockdown” na lalong magpapahirap sa taumbayan, lalo na ang mga mahihirap sa kalungsuran at kanayonan.
