President Rodrigo Duterte asked the human rights advocates to tone down and avoid giving reasons to the public to argue with the police officials and soldiers who are enforcing the community quarantine in Metro Manila.

During the televised address Monday, Duterte said that it’s better to avoid encouraging the people to assert their rights especially during times of crisis.

“They go to the opposite side, sinasabing ‘yung mga pulis hindi kayo maaresto’ you know, you don’t have to say that eh you encourage people to assert something na kunting bagay lang makikipag away sa pulis,” Duterte said.

While it’s correct that police and soldiers cannot put any citizens under their custody, the President reminded the public that there’s a limit on having arguments with law enforcers.

“When you advised to go home and you grapple with the police with words and ultimately it comes to dalhin sa estasyon for a public disturbance or disobedience to lawful authority, pwede ka talagang dalhin sa estasyon,” the President said.

According to President Duterte, it’s fine for the public to be reminded about their rights during “ordinary times” but not during the times of crisis.

“Just to be heard, para lang marinig ka ng tao o makisawsaw ka, ayaw mo magpa iwan sa mga issue so gusto mong sumali rin para marinig ka na ‘o meron akong contribution’ wag mong ganunin ang tao, just say ‘obey’, o kapag sinabi mo na hindi ka pwedeng hulihin and then you are advised and you become a hot heat makipag tulakan ka sa pulis,” he said.

“May mga tao talaga na ayaw magpahuli, alam ng mga tao na bright kayo alam ninyo na bright kayo, mga tao lang pati kayo, hindi kami kasali, you seem to give a side comment that is not needed,” he added.

Duterte then insisted that the people should follow the government and not other people because only the executive department is tasked to handle the COVID-19 outbreak and not the critics of the government.

“Better that if you give an order, make it milder and more acceptable and not cause parang maiirita yung mga pulis at mga military,” Duterte said.

“Remember, this is an emergency, during an emergency tumabi kayong lahat and give it to the people who are responsible for protecting the country,” he added.

It can be remembered that defeated senatorial candidate Chel Diokno reminded the public that the cops cannot put them under their custody if they tried to disobey the community quarantine measures in Metro Manila.

“Pwede ka nilang harangin at papasukin, na tama lang naman kung kailangan,” Diokno said who’s reacting to a statement of NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas.

President Rodrigo Duterte asked the private companies to consider the welfare of their workers who are affected by the community quarantine.

During a televised address, Duterte said that the big enterprises could give the 13th-month pay of their workers, or just give them half of their monthly salary in advance so they’re not going to worry about being jobless for 30 days.

“Yung malalaking enterprises dito, maybe you can consider paying the 13th month pay, or just paying them, maski kalahati sa sweldo nila, as a way of showing your solidarity with the Filipino.” Duterte said.

He also asked business tycoons like Manuel V. Pangilinan, Fernando Zobel de Ayala to help the government during COVID-19 outbreak.

“Mga mayayaman like for example Pangilinan and the Ayalas and sila Cuson you might be able to alleviate the situation just by understanding the plight of workers who are not working now,” the President said.

The President also announced that San Miguel Corporation and other food companies already assured the government that there will be sufficient food supply in the coming weeks.

One of the main concerns of the Filipinos during the community quarantine in Metro Manila is there where to get the money to buy food and other basic necessities for a month.

Even Senator Christopher “Bong” Go already asked the private companies for the early release of the 13-month pay.

“Kahit prorated lang, malaking tulong na iyan sa ating mga kababayan habang naka-community quarantine,” Go said.

He also urged the companies to allow their workers to go on leave or do work from home during the community quarantine period.

“Kung maaari, huwag na natin papasukin ang ating mga empleyado sa opisina lalo na kung kaya naman magampanan ang trabaho nila mula sa bahay sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya,” he said.

Duterte also recently announced that he’s going to put the whole Luzon under ‘enhanced community quarantine’ until April 12 because there are already reported cases of COVID-19 in provinces outside Manila.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri announced Monday that he tested positive for COVID-19 despite following social distancing and no handshake policy.

Zubiri announced the sad news on his Facebook page, saying that the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Duque is the one who called him to inform that he’s now one of the hundreds of Filipinos who contracted the virus.

However, he told his followers that he’s not showing any COVID-19 symptoms which is a good news.

“To my dear fellow Filipinos, my Kababayans. It is with sadness that I announce that I am positive for Covid 19. I had a test taken last Friday while on self-quarantine and this afternoon I received a call from Sec. Duque on my condition,” Zubiri said.

“My heart sank with what he had said but I’m uplifted with the fact that I am asymptomatic and have no fever or cough nor am I weak or have any headaches,” he added.

The Senator also said that he still got the virus despite following the social distancing other ways that could prevent him from contracting the virus.

“As one of those very early on in the Senate who espoused and advocated for stronger Government response on controlling Covid 19, I was very careful in my dealings with people at work in the Senate. I practiced social distancing, as well as a no handshake policy but yet I, got contaminated. How I do not know. This just goes to show how easily this virus is spread and therefore it is best for everyone to stay home and stay clean,” he said.

Zubiri said that he’s going to isolate himself for 10 days before taking another test.

He also urged the people to follow the government and avoid going outside of their homes.

“As for me I will stay locked in isolation for 10 more days until I get checked once again with hopefully a negative result. I hope my coming out will show how dangerously infectious this virus is. Sa aking mga Kababayans, makinig po tayo sa mga babala nang Gobyerno at wag na po kayo lumabas sa inyong mga tahanan. God bless us all,”

Zubiri is the highest government official who became positive with COVID-19.

He’s one of the Senators who took the ‘precautionary’ quarantine on March 12 after a resource person who entered the senate premises tested positive for COVID-19.

Vice President Leni Robredo urged her critics to stop spending their money to buy the services of social media “trolls” for a while amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

In her radio show ‘Biserbisyong Leni’ she said that instead of spending money for trolls, they should just buy protective gear for the COVID-19 front-liners, which includes the nurses, police, and soldiers.

Robredo expressed concern to the condition of the front-liners after she saw a photo of a cop without wearing any protective gear.

“Parati kong sinasabi na iyong pambayad niyo sa trolls, utang na loob, itulong niyo na muna kasi kailangan na kailangan iyong tulong ngayon. Ibili na lang nila ng protective gear para sa ating mga frontliners,” the vice president said.

“So ito, pakiusap lang natin, huwag naman tayong—huwag naman nating hahayaan na iyong frontliners natin malalagay sa alanganin. Ang laki ng sakripisyo para sa kanila, pero siguraduhin natin na protected sila.” she added.

The government was repeatedly accused of using social media trolls to taint the image of its critics.

Robredo then announced that their private partner “Kaya Natin!” successfully raised P3-M that would provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for the front-liners.

“Puwera doon, mayroon ding nag-donate ng food and care packages para sa kanila. So nagpapasalamat tayo doon sa lahat na donors na tumutulong,” she said.

She also urged the government to avoid focusing too much on the military and police.

“Ngayon kasi, parang nangingibabaw ulit ‘yung public order and safety na dapat sana supportive lang siya sa health concern,” Robredo said.

“Sana hindi grabe ‘yung focus sa military, sa kapulisan kasi ito, health concern ito,” she added.

Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio urged the officials of Davao City’s neighboring municipalities and cities to set up a quarantine site for their own people.

In a series of Instagram posts, Mayor Duterte said that she’s going to put Davao City under lockdown if the Mayors fail to make their own action and let her city shoulder all people residing in their neighboring places,

“I am asking Mayors of other LGUs na kapitbahay namin gumawa na kayo ng PUI quarantine area ninyo. Otherwise, I will close Davao City and you will have no access to hospitals and other essential services. Nagsasakripisyo na ang Davao City ng walang lockdown para sa inyo, gumawa naman kayo ng action,” Duterte-Carpio said.

She said that the government put Metro Manila on community quarantine because they wanted the other LGUs to prepare a quarantine area.

“The reason why they closed Metro Manila is to save the rest of the country. And buy other LGUs time. All LGUs now have to prepare a PUI quarantine area that is not your hospital. In Davao City, we used an entire school as a PUI center and our health centers as a triage to save our hospitals. Let us do our thing to make sure that sacrifice in Metro Manila saves lives in the entire country!” Inday Sara explained.

She also urged the government to rethink their decision as they’re still allowing passengers from Manila to fly to Davao City via Clark.

“Doctors want to contain everything in Metro Manila, and yet Manila passengers are allowed to fly out of Clark to Davao City. Please rethink what you are doing,” she said.

On Sunday, Duterte put Davao City on community quarantine through an executive order.

According to the executive order, people are not allowed to go out of their houses except if they’re going to leave for work, hospital, food or medicine.

Kawit, Cavite Mayor Angelo Aguinaldo, slammed a private hospital built in his municipality for allegedly refusing to admit a suspected COVID-19 patient.

In a Facebook post, Aguinaldo expressed his frustrations towards San Pedro Calungsod Medical Center (SPCMC) in Kawit, telling them that he doesn’t believe the hospital management’s reason that they refused the patient because they already reached their maximum capacity.

According to him, the Department of Health (DOH) already ordered all hospitals to prepare and reserve rooms for future COVID-19 patients; that’s why he’s questioning the honesty of the SPCMC.

He also mentioned that the patient was told by the hospital management that they need confirmation from the SPCMC President before admitting them.

“Kawit ay nagsisikap para masigurong ligtas ang ating bayan. Ngayong araw, isang ospital sa Kawit ang tumangging mag-confine sa dalawang pasyenteng nakikitaan ng sintomas ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Dalawang oras na naghintay si Dra. Pulido kasama ng mga medical staff ng Kawit RHU sa San Pedro Calungsod Medical Center, Inc. (SPCMC) para ma-process ang admission ng dalawang pasyente at nang mabigyan ng mas maayos na atensyon. Gusto sana nating mai-admit sila sa mas malaking ospital na may quarantine facility. Ngunit, tinanggihan pa rin nila ito,” Aguinaldo said.

“Hindi ako sold sa sinabi nilang “walang kwarto”. Dahil sa idineklarang State of Public Health Emergency, dapat ay may nakalaan na silang kwarto para sa ganitong mga kaso alinsunod na rin sa utos ng Department of Health para sa mga pasyenteng nagpapakita ng sintomas ng COVID-19.” he added.

“Sinabi rin ng naka-duty na doctor na pupunta ang kanilang presidente para magdesisyon. Edi, mayroon ngang bakante ngunit ayaw nilang ipagamit sa kasama naming pasyente. ANO BA TALAGA? Dagdag pa rito, ang pag-refuse na mag-confine po ng mga ospital na nasa Level 2 at Level 3 accreditation ng Philhealth ay isa pong paglabag sa pinirmahan nilang Performance Commitment. Karapatan ng ating mga kababayan na mai-admit sa ospital na may maayos na facility,” he also said.

Aguinaldo was saddened that a hospital built in his municipality was not cooperating with the government.

He also shared that he went personally to the hospital to plead to the management to accept the COVID-19 patient, but they still fail to convince the hospital.

“Bilang alkalde, ako ay nanlulumo sa ganitong pagtrato sa ating mga kababayan. Paano po ba natin masosolusyonan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19 sa ating bayan, kung hindi po nakikipagtulungan ang ilan sa mga ospital sa ating bayan gaya ng San Pedro Calungsod Medical Center?” the Mayor said.

“Hindi ko po maatim na habang ang pasyenteng may sakit at nanghihina, walang atensyong medikal ang naibibigay. Sa dalawang oras na pakikiusap ni Dra. Claudette, walang pusong tinanggihan pa rin ito. At kahit na ako na mismo ang pumunta para makiusap na makipagtulungan, ay wala man lang aksyon at para bang itinataboy pa kami.” he added.

He then urged the people of Kawit to report any hospital that going to refuse suspected COVID-19 carriers.

Before he ended his post, Aguinaldo also said that someone should be held liable for the incident.

“HINDI PO ITO TAMA! AT KAILANGANG MAY MANAGOT SA PANGYAYARING ITO,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH) repeatedly reminded the public that no hospitals can refuse people showing COVID-19 symptoms.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that hospitals might be stripped of a license to operate if they have proven to refuse patients.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto revealed the public service that he admired the most in a post two years ago.

On a tweet, Sotto wrote a post dedicated to the late Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jessie Robredo.

According to Sotto, he was amazed by Robredo’s style of governance and shared that the transparency ordinance he filed in Pasig City was inspired by the late Interior Secretary.

However, the Mayor said that he never met Robredo personally, but he learned many things by watching videos and reading things about him.

“I never had the chance to meet Jesse Robredo, but I’m so thankful for his life and all that I’ve learned from his wisdom & leadership, even if only indirectly through mutual friends, reading, and videos,” Sotto said.

“The Transparency Ordinance I filed in Pasig is, in part, inspired by Jesse Robredo,” he added.

The Transparency Ordinance I filed in Pasig is, in part, inspired by Jesse Robredo.

— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) August 18, 2018

He even called Naga City, the bailiwick of the Robredo’s as the ‘hotbed of citizen empowerment and participation in government’ contrary to what President Rodrigo Duterte described.

We talked to many groups (from urban poor to market vendors). What's amazing is that ALL of them said that the government doesn't simply tell them how things will be done; they give input & usually arrive at a consensus. From top to bottom, everyone is a stakeholder!#NagaCity

— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) August 24, 2018

Vice President Leni Robredo also gave advice to Vico when he was elected as the Mayor of Pasig City.

She also said that they’re willing to help the Pasig City Mayor if needed.

” ‘Yung pinaka-mensahe, maraming paghihirap ang pagdadaanan. Sana mag-stay lang ng course. Maraming temptations. Maraming shortcuts na dadaanan niya, pero sana ‘yung focus parating nandyan,” Robredo told Sotto.

“Andito lang naman kami. Hindi lang ako pero lalo na ‘yung mga katrabaho ng asawa ko. Nagvo-volunteer kami kung meron siyang kailangan na tulong from us para matuto sa lessons na pinagdaanan.” she added.