Robredo reiterates need for immediate gov’t assistance for Filipinos as she lauds Duterte’s decision to extend ECQ in NCR, high-risk areas

Vice President Leni Robredo underscored the need for the government to provide immediate assistance to Filipinos as she lauded President Duterte’s decision to extend the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas.

Robredo, in a television interview on Monday (April 27), said that she shares the same view with the government in extending the ECQ in capital region and in other areas, saying it was a “tough balancing act” that had to be made in order to minimize the threat posed by COVID-19.

“Tingin natin kailangan talagang i-extend doon sa mga areas na napakataas pa noong risk. Mahirap siyang desisyon kasi kailangan mo parating ibabalanse sa ekonomiya, ibabalanse doon sa mga malaki iyong tama sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan, pero kailangang gawin,” she said.

But Robredo reiterated that the government should also focus on speeding up its assistance to the health care sector, as well as the poor families that would bear the brunt of the effects of the extended lockdown.

“Iyong dapat kasing binibilang natin, kasya ba iyong mga hospital beds? Kasya ba iyong hospital equipment? Iyong atin bang mga health workers, mayroon ba silang mga PPEs to prevent contamination sa kanila? Iyong communities ba natin handa? Kapag sinabi nating handa, handa sila dito sa masamang… masamang epekto sa kanila ng ECQ. [Naglabas] na tayo ng social amelioration fund; marami pang problema in the sense na nagkakaroon ng problema sa distribution. Sana in the next few days, maayos iyon…” she said.

Meanwhile, the Vice President said that easing the lockdown in low-risk areas where General Community Quarantine were declared was also the right thing to do.

“I think it is a very good move, dahil ito iyong mga areas na identified na low-risk… Ito iyong pagbabalanse ng ekonomiya saka ng health prevention,” she said.

The Vice President further explained that the ECQ would give the Filipino public more time to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 infection in the coming weeks.

She, however, noted that a “speedy decision-making” by the government in crafting policies is also key in preventing the spread of such contagious disease.

“Hopefully, wala na, pero ito iyong pag-e-equip natin sa [ating] health care system, ito iyong pag-e-equip sa communities to combat the virus. Hopefully, this will help flatten the curve. Pero hindi dapat sayangin iyong panahon na ito, na siyempre sa preparations, kasi nakita natin from the experiences of other countries na talagang preparation is key. Iyong speedy decision-making is key,” Robredo said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)