COVID-19 vs. 2022 election
IT’S obvious to everyone why some mayors still continue to be reluctant to fully stop the contagion in their communities – it is their imagined fear of payback in the 2022 polls.
The fear that voters will resent any attempt at strictly enforcing the health and distancing protocols, i.e., arresting, detaining, punishing violators, etc. to make violators learn a lesson for being pasaway is what’s preventing their barangays to be COVID-free.
But to see politicians influenced by that fear as the paramount motivation to do nothing instead of demonstrating what he/she is prepared to do to save one life, to save one family from suffering, is enough issue against the incumbent to make sure he/she isn’t reelected.
The health crisis, in fact, provides a golden opportunity even to known corrupt politicians, to project themselves as decisive leaders that act for the communities’ best interests!
San Carlos City Mayor Julier Resuello is a case in point. His city continues to struggle with having the most number of confirmed COVID cases any day. Ironically, he says he knows what ails the city by citing the many instances he saw residents not wearing their masks in public. He threatens a city-wide lockdown believing that would do the trick. Alas, his threats and appeals no longer work among his constituents. No barangay kapitan has been castigated, no violator has been taught a lesson in the past, so they know about his fear. But will he make his threat good this time out of frustration? Perhaps, he will but even his kneejerk solution is the worst. He still obviously fears imposing discipline on individuals.
Ditto for Dagupan City Brian Lim.
The time for appealing to voters’ sense of righteousness or making empty threats is over. The time for making decisive political actions is the needed response. It’s COVID. 2022 is not an option.
Laughable Locsin
DIPLOMACY is the language of proper decorum at all times. That is why a diplomat is the supreme model of what a country’s citizen is in the eyes of the world. He personifies the character of any republic wanting to interact with the rest of the global community. Civility is paramount. Manners matter the most. Thus, when Teddyboy “Laughable” Locsin used profanity with impunity while telling China to leave the Philippines’ EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) in the West Philippine Sea, he essentially abrogated his post as Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Philippines. Was he lucky that President Duterte gave him the kid-glove treatment, reminding his Cabinet that only the Philippine President has the right to swear. Locsin has apologized. But did it matter? Not at all. He’s misbehaved a lot of times before. A broken record. Why he’s not been given the boot yet, only God knows.
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