A lawyer writes an open letter to the people of Capas, Tarlac, who are reportedly opposed to the idea of the government of making the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City as a quarantine area for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) coming from Wuhan, China.
On a Facebook post, Attorney Bruce V. Rivera doubts the claims of Capas that they were not informed about the plan of the government to bring the OFWs to the New Clark City.
Rivera also asked why the people of Capas are refusing to accept the OFWs despite benefiting to the infrastructure built by the national government for them.
He pointed out that the people of Manila have more risk of getting infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus as the San Lazaro Hospital and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, where the confirmed cases of nCoV are being treated are located in the National Capital Region.
Rivera was also saddened by the unwelcoming attitude of some people who don’t want to accept the OFWs, calling them selfish and narrow-minded.
Here’s what the letter reads:
“Dear People of Capas, Tarlac,
Sabi ninyo, hindi kayo nainform at kinunsulta sa quarantine ng mga Pinoy OFW na galing sa Wuhan na parang natraydor kayo.
Anong bansa ba kayo kasapi? Makikinabang kayo sa income ng NCC at nakinabang sa SEA Games pero ngayon, ayaw niyo tanggapin ang kababayan natin. Kung ganyan ang iniisip niyo, sana hindi din kayo pumayag nung ginawa diyan ang NCC.
Kami dito sa Metro Manila, andito ang RITM at San Lazaro kung saan may NCoV patients pero wala kayong nakikitang nagrarally na paalisin ang mga pasyente. Kasi, hindi naman natin dapat isipin ang sarili natin lang sa panahon ng krisis. Lalo na kung kapwa nating Pinoy na OFW na bayani ang turing natin sa kanila. Tsaka, ang dinadala po diyan, WALANG mga sakit. Ang may ubo at lagnat ay sa hospital dinadala. Quarantine lang para preventative.
Para sa akin, obligasyon ng Mayor at council ang huwag i-encourage ang mga maling inpormasyon na naging dahilan bakit praning ang mga constituents nila. Pero sila pa itong pasimuno ng panic.
Nakakahiya maging Pilipino sa mga panahong ito kahit na andami nating kababayan na iniisip ang kapakanan ng karamihan. Kasi may mga Pinoy na makasarili, madamot at makitid ang pag-iisip. Kasi kung ganyan kayo mag-isip, paghati-hatiin na lang ang Pilipinas kasi masakit makarinig ng mga salitang, “dapat bumalik sila sa kanilang pinangalingan” mula sa mga galit na residente ng Capas patungkol sa isang Pinoy na OFW.
Kasi hindi ba parte ng Pilipinas ang Capas, Tarlac. Saang pinangalingan nila gustong bumalik yung kababayan natin?
Nakakahiya talaga. Kasi normal ang mangamba at matakot. Pero hindi makatao ang pagiging madamot.
At nagsisimba kayo sa lagay na yan.”
On another post, Rivera also said that Mayors should not succumb to ‘irrational fear’ because it might also affect his people.
Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan of Capas, Tarlac at first opposed the plan of the government, expressing concern that his people might get infected by the non-airborne virus.
However, after meeting with some officials, the LGU of Capas and Catacutan urged his people to support the plan of the government and welcome the repatriated OFWs.
Source: [1]