Senate President Vicente Sotto III had already enough with people posting their charitable works on the internet.

Sotto, on a tweet, said that people who are doing philanthropic activities should continue what they’re doing; however, posting it on social media might only give a wrong impression to some people.

According to him, sharing their good deeds on the internet was meant to feed their egos.

“If you want to feed the hungry, then feed the hungry. But the moment you post it on social media, you are only feeding your ego!” Sotto said.

My John Wooden amended version – if you want to feed the hungry, then feed the hungry. But the moment you post it on social media, you are only feeding your ego!

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) April 17, 2020

Some of his followers gave their comments on the tweet of the Senate President.

“It depends on one’s motives. After all, we are in the Information Age. Information is the new currency. Some use it for accountability, others as an invitation or summons to do better,” netizen @thelastround said.

It depends on one’s motives. After all, we are in the Information Age.. Information is the new currency.. Some use it for accountability, others as an invitation or summons to do better

— Jingo Quijano (@thelastround) April 17, 2020

One netizen even challenged Sotto to name the people he criticized.

“Kung may b*yag ka pangalanan mo! Gawain mo rin yan pag eleksyon, suhol mo ALDUB kapalit ng boto! IMPOKRITO KA!” @IngridMedrano told Sotto.

Sotto, in the past, said that he believes that helping people should be done without publicity.

“Ang pagtulong sa kapwa na walang hinihintay na kapalit o papuri ay tunay na dakila,” Sotto said in his most recent statement.

“Para naman dun sa ilang kababayan natin na nagyayabang at mahilig maghamon sa mga Senador at pulitiko na lumabas at tumulong sa kapwa, sana ay mahismasmasan kayo at magkaroon ng tamang katinuhan,” he added.

Amid the enhanced community quarantine, people like Francis Leo Marcos captured the attention of the internet because of his charitable works.

Marcos became popular because of his challenges to politicians and rich people to go out and match the goods he donated to the public.

However, several critics of Marcos accused the businessman of just using his philanthropic activities in publicity.

Angel Locsin, Gab Valenciano, and other celebrities also sharing their contribution to social media.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has a message to President Rodrigo Duterte after the latter addressed his critics on his televised address on Thursday.

In a tweet, Trillanes questioned why Duterte is asking his critics about their contributions to the country, while the government already received a 4-T budget this year.

He even said that he may pat the President on his neck.

“Four Trillion ang budget mo, tapos hahanapan mo ako ng ambag? Batukan kaya kita,” Trillanes tweeted.

Four Trillion ang budget mo, tapos hahanapan mo ako ng ambag? Batukan kaya kita.

— Sonny Trillanes IV (@TrillanesSonny) April 16, 2020

Aside from his tweet, Trillanes also posted a video compilation of President Duterte’s controversial statements.

Trillanes was responding to President Duterte’s statement against his critics.

Duterte likened his critics to ‘snakes’ who are only waiting for an opportunity to talk against the government.

“Ito lang tanong ko: Dumaan na man kayo, ano ang nagawa ninyo para sa bayan? Iyan lang. Kapag sinabi ninyo ako wala, okay wala. Eh kayo? What have you done for the country except to talk and criticize and talk?” Duterte said.

Trillanes is a known critic of President Duterte and facing several charges because of his alleged involvement in some ouster plots against the chief executive.

A concerned citizen removed a tarpaulin against President Rodrigo Duterte installed at Katipunan overpass, saying that calls for the removal of the chief executive would not solve the current problems of the country.

In a Facebook post, netizen Gab Sab narrated that he was driving along Katipunan Avenue when he saw the tarp saying “Oust Duterte” at the overpass.

He decided to stop his car to remove the said tarpaulin and dumped it to the nearest garbage bin because he believes that calling for the ouster of the President was non-sense.

“Tinanggal ko at tinapon ko sa basurahan yung walang kakwenta kwentang bagay at walang magandang hatid sa lahat ng makakakita. Di ko lang maintindihan kung san nanggagaling yung nagsulat at naglagay nun at nageffort pa na lumabas at suwayin ang utos ng gobyerno para lang gawin yun,” Sab said.

“Di ba nya naisip na di solusyon ang pagpapatalsik sa Presidente natin sa kinakaharap natin na problema ngayon? Kasi ang pagkakaalam ko PAGKAKAISA yung kailangan natin ngayon at TULUNGAN at hindi pagsisisihan o siraan!” he added.

According to him, the critics of the President should stop their campaign for now as the country was facing a crisis due to COVID-19.

“Puro reklamo at puro paninisi nalang sa Gobyerno imbis gumawa ng tama! Kung may pagkukulang man sila naniniwala ako na di ito yung tamang panahon para isumbat yun sa kanila. Dahil walang nakakaalam at nakapaghanda sa problemang to kahit yung malalakaing bansa,” he said.

“Kung di natin kayang irespeto si DU30 bilang Presidente, Irespeto nalang sana natin sya bilang nakakatanda na kailangan igalang gaya ng mga nakakatanda nating kamaganak!” he added.

The video already reached 151,000 views as of writing and 24,000 reactions on social media.

Two weeks ago, several critics of the government called for the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte because of their dissatisfaction in the performance of the chief executive on fighting COVID-19.

Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte wants enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) violators to shoulder their hospital expenses if ever that they contracted COVID-19 because they disobeyed the order of the government.

On April 14, Duterte told the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) that the ECQ violators should not expect any help from the Davao City Government if they got hospitalized.

The Presidential daughter made the said statement following the rising numbers of private vehicles roaming around the city despite the curfew hours imposed.

“Kung natakdan ka og Covid-19 tungod nag-violate ka sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, dili mobayad ang city government sa imong pagpahospital (Kung ikaw ay nahawa ng COVID-19 dahil ikaw ay sumuway sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, hindi sasagutin ng siyudad ang iyong pagpapa-ospital),” Inday Sara Duterte said.

Duterte couldn’t understand why there are many private vehicles roaming around her city while there are only a few establishments open and only few are allowed to go to work.

“Most of the supermarket workers do not use these kinds of vehicles,” she said.

She also said that the ECQ violators are still free to use their Philhealth, however, if their hospitalization bills exceeded to the amount covered by the insurance, they should not expect help from the Davao City Government.

Duterte was confident that if the violators could afford their own hospitalization if they have the money to use their car despite the community quarantine.

“They can afford the gasoline of these vehicles so they should prepare for the payment of their hospital bills once they acquire COVID-19 from violating the protocols of the ECQ,” she added.

According to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation President and CEO Ricardo Morales, they’re going to impose new case rate packages for the COVID-19 patients starting April 15.

Patients will get the following insurance coverage, depending on their condition:

– P43,997.00, for those with mild pneumonia;

– P143,267.00, for those with moderate pneumonia;

– P333,519.00, for those with severe pneumonia;

– P786,384.00, for those with critical pneumonia.

Before, Philhealth is covering the full hospitalization cost of COVID-19 patients.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III asked the local government officials to shoulder the expenses of the financial aid for their constituents that not covered by the Social Amelioration Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In an interview with DZMM, Sotto said that LGUs might shoulder the expenses while the government was having a problem in distributing the funds for financial aid.

Sotto made the said suggestion when asked about the possible solution on the distribution problem of funds to the LGUs who didn’t match their records of eligible constituents for the social amelioration package to DSWD.

“Ngayon, sa baba naman, tutal delayed ng kung palagay mo may delay, saka sinasabi mo nga, hindi nagtutugma, karamihan naman ng mga LGU kakayanin. Abonohan mo muna, makakasingil ka naman sa gobyerno. Ito pa nga, sinasabi nga natin na pati sa SMEs meron tayong ibibigay, eh di lalo na sa inyong mga LGUs, yung loan portfolio namin available, di ba? Abonohan mo muna, pagalingan din naman ng local officials ito dahil kung magaling kang magremedyo, makikita ng mga kababayan mo yan,” Sotto said.

According to Sotto, the LGUs should not worry about the expenses as the government has sufficient funds to help the Filipinos affected by the global pandemic.

The Senate President said that if required, they’re going to do anything to ensure that DSWD is going to pay the money shouldered by the LGU officials.

He said that the distribution of cash aid should hasten as many Filipinos already needed the money.

“Pakiusap naman natin din habang ginagawa namin yang sinabi mong yan, pakiusap naman natin sa mga local officials abonohan ninyo yung kulang at saka natin singilin yung DSWD katulong ninyo kami na maniningil diyan at kung ano ang pondong kailangan, kung kailangan kaming gumawang batas para diyan, gagawin namin,” Sotto said.

“Abonohan ninyo muna. Pag sinabing hindi, wala, ito lang ang calamity fund namin, inalis na nga namin yung cap, doon sa Bayanihan Act, wala na ngang cap sa mga calamity fund, gamitin ninyo lang kahit anong pondo muna, di ba? Boss, ang usapan dito, buhay muna, saka na yung pera, saka na yung gobyerno. Hindi maibabalik yung buhay, pero yung pera, maibabalik yan, kikitain ng gobyerno yan,” he added.

Sotto said that the government may also cancel some of its infrastructure projects if required to help the people.

Under the Bayanihan Law, 18 million families will receive a monthly financial/food aid worth P5,000 to P8,000 depending on the beneficiary’s location.

The government is also studying the possibility to include the middle-class families affected by the quarantine in the social amelioration program.

A blogger and lawyer said that it’s possible for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file charges against Ruby Villanueva, popularly known as ‘Mystica’ for her post against President Rodrigo Duterte.

On April 12, lawyer Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that based on Mystica’s statement, she could be charged with ‘inciting to sedition’ for encouraging the people to go out and fight the government.

Atty. Angeles posted some of Mysta’s statements from her vlog that published on March 26 that could be evidence that the former actress was promoting a rebellion.

“Sumasang-ayon na talaga ako kung ano yung mga prinsipyo ni Vice President Leni (Robredo). Dati rati, never ako nagbanggit about Leni Robredo. But right now sumusuporta na ako sa kanila. All the way. Sumusuporta ako sa kanila,” Mystica said.

“Kaya kung sino ang sumusuporta kay Vice President Leni Robredo, let’s get out there and be in full foce, labanan natin itong gobyerno na ito, lalong lalo na ang ating Presidente,” she added.

Mystica also said that it’s better to lose their lives fighting the government instead of choosing not to do something.

She also encouraged her followers to share her statements to everyone on social media.

According to the law, inciting sedition carries a maximum penalty of six years in detention.

In the complaint of the National Bureau of Investigation against Rodel Jayme, one of the alleged uploaders of ‘Bikoy’ videos, status posts on social media are now considered as ‘electronic speech’.

“Seditious words or speeches, write, publish, or circulate scurrilous libels, can now be done electronically (social media and blog web pages) and being online it now caters to a larger and wider audience.” the NBI complaint against Jayme reads.

Mystica posted the said controversial remarks against the government via social media.

Meanwhile, the actress already made a public apology to President Duterte on her latest vlog.

“I’m sure na mapapatawad ako ni Presidente, dahil alam niya na ang isang tao kapag frustrated masasabi niya lahat, katulad din niya nasasabi niya rin kung ano yung frustration niya,” she said.

“Bilang anak, alam ko na hindi tama yun, inaadmit ko, kaya kung yun man ang dahilan na ako ay huhusgahan na ng mundo, ako kakastiguhin na wala akong puso, wala akong ginawa kundi reklamo ng reklamo, siguro niyo naman ay maintindihan niyo ang bakit,” she added.

Will her public apology be enough to save her from possible charges?

President Rodrigo Duterte reminded the local government officials not to be carried by their own opinions and make their own rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their place.

During his televised address, Duterte said that the officials of LGUs should follow the social distancing rules imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases instead of making their own ways based on their beliefs.

Duterte warned the local officials not to insist on their own rules or else face charges or dismissal for not cooperating with the national government.

“Kayong mga Mayors wag kayong maglaro, kasi kung ayaw ninyong mag social distancing, mapipilitan ako na puntahan kita at arestuhin kita, ayaw ko mag aresto ng Mayor, pero huwag kang mag sabi na ‘ay mayroon kaming batas na sinusunod’ sa panahon na ito, ang batas ay isa lang, ang batas ng DOH, as implemented by (Defense Secretary Delfin) Lorenzana, (Interior Secretary Eduardo) Año, (chief implementer Carlito) Galvez pati itong..” Duterte said.

“Kung salubungin mo yan, mapipilitan akong puntahan at sabihin sayo ‘anong klase ka? mayroon ng ibinibigay na instruction, yung iyong point of view taguin mo lang yan, punta ka doon, pasok ka sa kwarto mo, kunin mo lahat sa bulsa mo ang iyong opinyon, ilagay mo sa drawer mo tapos mo sundin mo lang ang gobyerno, okay ba tayo diyan, Mayor, Governor?” he added.

The President then reminded the local officials that he’s only their subordinate and servant, as long as they’re doing what’s better for the people.

Duterte said that he doesn’t care about politics anymore as he’s soon to retire after his presidency.

On April 1, three governors face charges for implementing their own rules contrary to the protocols set by President Duterte and IATF.

However, DILG refused to name the said governors.