Damage control: Villar clarifies remarks about health workers amid boycott calls for her family businesses

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

MANILA – Administration Senator Cynthia Villar has clarified her recent controversial statement for health workers to better work harder amid the growing number of coronavirus infections in the country, as calls to boycott her family businesses have gain support in various social media platforms.

In a statement, Villar said it’s the government leaders particularly the country’s health officials and not the doctors are the ones “need to work harder to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the economy, the health sector and the people.”

“We have to work harder and better, but I am not referring in particular to the medical workers–our frontliners. We are referring to all of us and DOH and PhilHealth in particular. There is so much room for improvement in the government’s response to curb the transmission of the disease,” said Villar.

Villar on Saturday drew flak after she opposed the recommendation of the Philippine College of Physicians for the government to re-impose Enhance Community Quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) amid the rising number of COVID cases in the country.

Instead of supporting the suggestions of the country’s top physician, Villar said doctors should just work harder to prevent the further spread of the dreaded disease.

“Hindi na siguro, pagbutihin nila trabaho nila… may time in our lives na ikaw talaga ang mapapagod,” said Villar in an interview with radio DWIZ.

Many netizens were irked upon learning of Villar’s pronouncement, and have then made calls to boycott her family businesses such as Coffe Projects, Vista Malls, and her real estate companies, Camella and Vista Land.

The hashtag “#BoycottCoffeeProject” became the main trending topic on social media platform Twitter last Saturday.

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