GOVERNMENT MUST LOOK FOR MEANS TO SUSTAIN, NOT SHELVE, CONTACT TRACING
The recent pronouncements of DOH Usec. Vergeire and DILG Usec. Malaya over the inability to intensify contact tracing show that this cycle of increasing cases will repeat itself in the near future.
As COVID cases remain at an all-time high, government must intensify contact tracing efforts to isolate & treat those infected w/ the virus. With an almost 2:1 ratio of positivity, it’s critical to find out who has been exposed so they can be given proper medical interventions.
The country has witnessed at least four lockdowns because of increasing cases, and with the positivity rate at an all-time high, it faces the risk of a fifth lockdown, affecting the jobs of many Filipinos.
If we are dead serious in protecting the economy, including the livelihood of many, then contact tracing must be given the attention and resources it deserves.
Funding should not be an issue, as these can be sourced from unnecessary projects and appropriations, including the President’s confidential and intelligence funds.
Contact tracing, along with mass testing, is non-negotiable in this pandemic. The government must find ways to make it happen.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
First, he continues to block efforts to retrieve the ill-gotten wealth amassed by his family.
That's hundreds of billions that could have been used for free medicines, healthcare, and social interventions for the poor. Do we want a president that blocks efforts to return the people's money to the public coffers?
Second, his non-payment of taxes. Marcos had vast sources of income after holding office as vice governor, governor and even after being appointed a board member of Philcomsat, with a paycheck amounting to $9,700.
With Sara Duterte’s filing of candidacy for vice president and her adoption by the Partido Federal as Bongbong Marcos’ running mate in 2022, the merger of the forces of tyranny, dynasty and corruption is complete. (1/6)
The son of a former dictator and daughter of a wanabee dictator are now poised to continue the dark legacies of their fathers. This can only bode ill for the vast majority of Filipinos, many of whom suffered under the corrupt and brutal regimes of their fathers. (2/6)
The team up shows that the Marcoses have now become the primary power brokers in the country, with Duterte now a lameduck president and his daughter relagated to a supporting role. (3/6)
THREAD: My comments on the Chico River Irrigation Pump loan agreement signed between Ambassador Zhaojian Hua, on behalf of the Export-Impot Bank of China, and Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, on behalf of the Philippine Government, on April 10, 2018.
The Loan Agreement is onerous & highly favors China. It sets an annual interest rate of 2% for the Php3.6 Billion loan plus an annual “Commitment Fee” of .3% and a “Management Fee“ of US$ 186,260. China demands that the loan be ‘paid in full without counterclaim or retention.”
The 2% interest rate is exceedingly high compared to loans offered by other countries which only charge .25% per year. China is demanding that payment be automatically included in the General Appropriations Law, practically usurping the powers of Congress.