Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3)— The medical community’s latest public distress call is not an attempt to mount a revolution against the government amid the COVID-19 crisis, a health expert said Monday.
Responding to President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim, Dr. Tony Leachon— who previously served as an adviser for the country’s COVID-19 task force— said healthcare workers are simply voicing out their concerns, especially with healthcare capacity and manpower severely affected by the pandemic.
“It might seem to be some sort of a revolution to the eyes of the President, but it was not meant that way,” Leachon said in an interview with The Source.
“We are not against the moves of the IATF and the moves of the President. We just like to be understood by the President that the medical community is having a hard time right now in trying to manage the avalanche of cases at the emergency room and also at the hospital level,” he added.
Over the weekend, representatives from various medical societies appealed to the chief executive to revert Mega Manila back to a stricter quarantine status, citing an overwhelmed healthcare system and “burned out” frontliners. The move would also pave the way for officials to further refine pandemic control strategies, the group said.
In response, Duterte said he "fully understands" the healthworkers' call for a time out, but also warned them against hinting about staging a "revolution.”
The President noted they could have just written a letter to authorities, instead of airing out concerns publicly.
“So kami dito, hindi namin kayo kinakalimutan. There would not have been no need for you to go into… and raising your hands as if sabihin ninyo revolution, revolution,” Duterte said in his late-night address on Sunday.
“Next time, huwag ninyo akong parinigrinigin ng revolution. Iyan ang mas delikado sa COVID. Eh kung mag-revolution kayo, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counterrevolution. How I wish you would do it,” he added.
[Translation: We at the government do not forget about you. There would not have been no need for you to go into… raising your hands as if you’re shouting for revolution. Next time, don’t imply revolution. That’s more dangerous than COVID. If you go on a revolution, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counterrevolution. How I wish you would do it.]
The Physical College of Physicians also earlier denied Duterte’s claim that the sector was trying to demean the efforts of the government, saying they were only “misunderstood.”
READ: Physicians' group 'not completely happy' with MECQ status for Metro Manila, four provinces
Duterte partly heeded the call of the community, as he decided to place Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal back to a stricter MECQ starting Tuesday. With the new protocol, Leachon said university researchers' end-August prediction of 150,000 COVID-19 cases in the country may decrease by about 20,000.
Coronavirus infections in the country have breached the 100,000 mark on Sunday, with the Philippines once again listing a new record-high in daily cases.
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