Duterte tells health frontliners: Don’t try to ”demean” gov’t

August 3, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte has accused medical societies of trying to demean the government and threatening it with a "revolution."

Duterte made the statement after various medical organizations made public their call to the President to reimpose a lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces for two weeks so  health workers could recover from exhaustion in attending to the coronavirus disease patients instead of having a dialogue with him first.

"Do not try to demean government. You are not actually criticizing. You demean your own government by just going ahead, and also to threaten with revolution," he said in a televised message on Sunday night.

The President said those in government are not incompetent.

"We are not incompetents here because we are not doctors. You should do the soul searching. Not us. You could be the one to help us and you should not always be complaining," he said.

"If you are going to stage a revolution, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counterrevolution. How I wish you would do it," he added.

In a press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that Duterte only made such a statement against healthcare workers because they released first their letter to the media instead of giving it first to Duterte.

But in the same televised message, Duterte heeded the call of medical organizations to reimpose modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby provinces for 15 days beginning midnight of August 4 until August 18.

He also promised to provide healthcare workers, including those in the private sector, more benefits, including life insurance, cash assistance for those who will get sick of COVID-19, free transportation and accommodation, and free and frequent testing. Celerina Monte/DMS