A councilor of Pasay City has gone infamous on social media after a video of him while angrily criticizing health workers circulated on the internet.
Councilor Arnel “Moti” Arceo has been accused of shaming the health workers doing rapid testing inside Pasay City hall session hall.
Arceo who’s videoed himself quickly scolded the health workers asking them why they’re doing COVID-19 test inside the session hall.
“P******a kung hindi delikado tanggalin niyo, p********g yan. Araw-araw namin dinidisinfect yan eh, ang session hall namin ginawang rapid testing center… tignan mo kung gaano kailki pag iisip ng mga to,” Arceo said.
“Tapos ang sabi wag daw akong magalit… eh kung hindi delikado ito bakit may balot ng plastik ito, bakit kayo naka PPE? (Personal protective equipment) Kung hindi delikado bakit kayo naka PPE?!” the angry councilor asked the health workers.
According to him, COVID-19 testing should be done outside the city hall because it might endanger the lives of the Pasay City employees.
The councilor then approached the health workers and asked them again why they’re wearing PPE if they believe that what they’re doing inside the city hall is safe.
“Delikado ba o hindi? Bakit kayo naka PPE lahat? Bakit hindi niyo sa opisina ginawa ‘yan? Diyos ko naman,” he said.
“Session hall namin ‘yan eh, nag paalam ba kayo sa aming lahat e lahat kami gumagamit niyan, bakit hindi sa mga opisina ni’yo ginawa ‘yan kung nag iisip kayo?” he added.
While Arceo was shouting at them, some of the health workers removed their PPE inside the session hall where the rapid testing was done.
The uploader of the video Alexia Guevarra said that the health workers only followed the order from Pasay City Human Resource Management.
“Nakakagalit lang na habang ang buong bansa nagsa-struggle pa sa public health at econ effects ng COVID-19, yung mga politician and people in position like Moti Arceo manage to get away with things like this. Yung #1 frontliners–healthworkers–ang minumura-mura niya when in fact, service yung ginagawa nila. Something that will benefit everyone. Kapag common people nagsabi ng isang bad thing or isang criticism re: gov’t response sa pandemic, huli agad and magdedemand pa ng public apology. Pero pag powerful ka, go lang. Speak your mind, ganun,” Guevarra wrote.
Guevarra also claimed that the said health workers attempted to file a complaint against Arceo but was pressured to back out.
In another interview, Arceo said that he didn’t curse any health workers during that time and he only said those words because of anger and fear.
“Sino ba naman ang hindi matatakot, ginawang testing center ‘yung aming session hall? Nilagay nila sa panganib ang buhay ng mga empleyado ng buong city hall, hindi lang ng city council, hindi lang ng session hall,” Arceo said.
“‘Yung pag iingat na hinihingi sa atin ng gobyerno natin, lahat tayo may kanya kanyang role, sabi nga ni Presidente, lahat tayo ay sundalo sa role na ito,” he added.
Arceo called the actions of the Pasay City health department as ‘careless’ and ‘reckless’