Locked up Senator Leila De Lima on Wednesday criticized the government after presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that “mass testing” for returning Filipino workers would be up to private companies.
“Rather than testing our patients, the government is testing our patience. Kung ang responsibilidad mo ay hindi mo magawa at ipinapasa mo sa iba, anong tawag sa ‘yo? Inutil,” De Lima said in a statement.
(If you can’t do your responsibility and you are handing it to someone else, what are you? You’re futile!)
Malacanang on Monday said the government would not pay for the “mass testing” of employees going back to work under the modified enhanced community quarantine due to the government’s limited resources.
“In terms of mass testing na ginagawa ng Wuhan na all 11 million, wala pa pong ganiyang programa at iniiwan natin sa pribadong sektor,” Roque said.
(In terms of mass testing that is being conducted in Wuhan where 11 million were tested, we don’t have such program, and we will leave it to the private sector.)
De Lima calls gov’t futile for not providing mass testing
De Lima did not like the Duterte administration’s plan when it came to COVID-19 testing and stressed out that the coronavirus pandemic also hits private companies.
“Lupaypay na nga ang mga negosyante sa kawalang produksyon at pagkalugi habang nasa lockdown, ipinapapasan pa sa kanila ang dagdag-gastos na ito. Ang lupit nyo!” she said.
(Even business people are down by the loss of production and damages during the lockdown, you still want them to carry the burden of this additional cost. You’re so cruel)
De Lima described the lack of mass testing as “nothing more than a collective torture of the Filipino people.”
“May emergency powers. May P270 bilyong budget. May US$4.75 bilyong utang mula sa World Bank at Asian Development Bank. Pero walang mass testing. Anyare?” she added.
(There is emergency power. There is P270 billion budget. There is a US$4.75 billion loan from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. But there is no mass testing. What happened?)
Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday the government is inclined in expanded COVID-19 testing rather than mass testing.