Manila, Philippines – A group of small fishers on Saturday said that the more than 15, 000 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recorded yesterday was an indication of a “plain and simple failure of the restrictive and militarized quarantine”.
“The all-time high record of new cases says it all; a restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) alone will never work. When will the government ever realize that the problem is not the easing of restrictions, but the lack of comprehensive medical and scientific solutions?” said Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson of the group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA).
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA slammed what it said as “same level of community quarantine under the same framework of militaristic approach”.
“After a year of militaristic yet unscientific community quarantines, the public health system remains crippled as it is, and the pandemic, more than ever, is still out of control. The Duterte government clearly has failed to curb the spread of the virus. There is no free and massive testing, aggressive contact tracing, free treatment, and moreover there is no massive vaccination,” added Hicap.
“15, 310 new cases are a striking failure of the Duterte government to effectively address the already year-long pandemic. It’s 15,310 reasons to hold Duterte and the IATF accountable for causing the misery of the Filipinos and the economy over their failed pandemic response,” Hicap said.
Lastly, PAMALAKAYA warns against the extension of the ECQ and urges the public to collectively denounce and resist any government’s “attempt to widen and expand the quarantine given its same orientation which is militarist, repressive, yet no subsidy and medical solutions”. ###
