FOR the workers, employees, odd jobbers and communities affected by general community quarantine caused by Covid19.
Food, medicines, protective masks, treated water supply and special transportation support in emergency times are the most important.
The government has to shoulder the bigger responsibility of this crisis and its crisis response strategies. At all times, and in crisis times, the state must be at the side of the people, easing their burden, instituting discipline, without infringing their basic civil, political and human rights.
National and local officials who remiss their responsibilities, or even make use of the crisis to steal extra for their personal pockets, should be arrested and imprisoned for life, or best, shot at public parks to save expenses, and for people to know their demonic character.
There are also common stories on the ground, in the barangays, of their barangay officials giving services only to their political base which must reach the local DILG and be stopped immediately, otherwise fire the local DILG officials for their negligence and expediencies.
The state should likewise encourage the private sector especially the multinational companies and domestic big businesses to help especially in terms of food support, cash advances, 13th month pay, hazard pay and moratorium on salary deductions. Time to share their blessings which their workers and employees have sacrificed so much for so long.
Those who fail to do should have their business permits cancelled and their companies assets seized by national government for distribution to the citizens they have deprived humanitarian service.
I am saying all this to stress the importance of urgent relief assistance because that is one of the lasting measurements of government’s sincerity, compassion, dedication to its people especially those who need its leadership and service most.
On top is government’s decisiveness in all its decision making and swiftness of its actions.
When the government demonstrates these characteristics, there’s no crisis, no deadly virus that it can’t defeat.
But when the government fails, especially its frontline units, the LGUs, the barangays, then nobody should wonder when the people begin to take the solutions by their own decision and actions.