Punchline
Time to punish protocol violators
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
ALLOW me to expound further on our first editorial this week, “Establish health, security protocols as an ordinance” that segues to our second editorial.
Our recommendation is no different from initiatives of the provincial and city/town governments to pass ordinances on curfew hours. An ordinance compels compliance with provisions for penalties.
As things stand today, compliance is left purely to the willingness of community members to comply with health protocol to protect themselves, but not with the mindset to protect others. That policy translates to –bahala kayo sa buhay nyo– and doesn’t imbibe strict compliance to help stop contagion.
For as long as the person is confident about his immune system and his surrounding environment, he/she wont bother with the face mask and shield unless asked to as a requirement in entering establishments.
Hence, only the adoption of an ordinance to implement established health and security protocols highlights the need to stop the contagion, to protect others.
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LEARNING FROM LESSONS. Take the report of the provincial health office about locally stranded individuals who returned to their hometowns but fail (or refuse) to report to their barangays about their status. Since these persons obviously consider themselves asymptomatic, they did not find it necessary to report. What they fail to understand is the need to advice barangay so other members can be protected in case they test positive.
And what can the PHO do to these potential carriers? Nothing but just to admonish the delinquent and insensitive LSI. Did the incident cause any alarm in communities in the province? No, because everyone (except those who were infected by them) was confident that the issue did not affect them directly.
What could possibly alarm them? It’s the news that some LSIs who failed to report their status to the barangay were arrested and penalized. That will alarm those who are predisposed to be in denial and not inclined to comply strictly with the protocols. With the ordinance in place, they will realize that they have the duty to protect others or they suffer the consequences – to be arrested and punished.
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BOOSTING BOTH HEALTH AND ECONOMY. The COVID-19 health crisis has already taken a heavy toll on both the lives of frontliners and the economy, needlessly and uselessly. Lockdowns and contact–tracing are triggered by failure and refusal of community members to accept their responsibility to others in their communities – to wear masks and shields, observe social distancing, to report cases to barangays, observe curfew, etc.
If anything that the national and provincial governments failed to do to effectively address the pandemic, it is to ensure strict compliance by the people.
Other countries operating under a democratic system have taken much bolder steps to ensure strict compliance – they passed laws for making it legal to detain and impose hefty fines for varied violations. They succeeded in minimizing contagion.
The surge of cases in Pangasinan already necessitate bolder measures to address both the contagion and economic disaster confronting us.
For the sake of our people who deserve protection and our business sector who need to survive the pandemic, the need for the immediate passage of an ordinance that makes violation of the health and safety protocols punishable by law is urgent. Another ordinance should ordering the designation of protocol marshals in all barangays who must be made equally accountable as the barangay kapitan for any surge of positive cases in their communities. (Like the barangay health workers, they, too, must receive compensation to be drawn against the barangays’ internal revenue allotment)
Hand in hand with these bold measures, all establishments can be opened to jumpstart the local economy’s recovery while minimizing effects of contagion.
* * * * *
MAYOR LIM WAS NEGLIGENT. It is pathetic to see Mayor Brian Lim (and city administrator Vlad Mata) merely reacting to crisis situations instead of closely studying and anticipating social problems in the city.
The chaotic situation at the Tondaligan Beach complex last Sunday, September 13, was definitely another crisis–after-crisis waiting to happen in the city. It will definitely result in an uncontrolled surge of COVID-19 cases and Mayor Lim and his concerned department heads must be held accountable.
What the city government officials continue to fail to understand is the fact that the city’s medical resources for COVID cases have already reached their limits, fully exhausted. If the surge continues as may now be expected after last Sunday’s scandalous widespread violation of health protocols at the Tondaligan Beach because of Mayor Lim’s negligence, Dagupeños will soon have to rely on hospitals in San Fernando City (LU) and Baguio City for medical assistance for a chance to recover.
I wonder if DILG City Director Marilyn Laguico dared to report Mayor Lim’s gross and serious negligence to Regional Director James Fadrilan. If she didn’t, she deserves to be replaced if not suspended outright for her dereliction of duty.
At the very least, Mayor Brian, like the kapitans who were investigated and suspended for violation of the SAP, should be investigated (and suspended) to teach him a major lesson in governance.
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NO SHARED RESPONSIBILITY IN DAGUPAN. Here’s another incontrovertible proof that Mayor Lim does not practice what he preaches about ‘Shared Responsibility’!
He did not find it necessary to read and sign the Ordinance no. 2205 entitled “Adopting the Sangguniang Panlungsod Comprehensive Legislative information, Research and Archives Management Program.”
Ironically, it is a non-controversial ordinance that underscored ‘shared responsibility’ in the city’s governance.
If he did not agree with the intent of the ordinance, he could have vetoed it and cited his reasons. At least, that way people would know that, right or wrong, he was on top of governance, particularly including being aware of the affairs of the city council.
The new ordinance is an important piece of legislation for this generation and the next because it establishes the basis for planning and implementation of development programs, including responses to crisis situations and natural calamities.
By not affixing his signature, it could only mean he was lazy to read it, or didn’t care what the SP does or refuses to commit itself to his vaunted ‘shared responsibility.
It’s a long overdue ordinance and the city council must be applauded for it.
Take a bow, Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and the councilors (Karlos Reyna, Jose Tamayo, Michael Fernandez, Dennis Canto, Celia Lim, Cisco Flores, Teresa Coquia and Marcelino Fernandez who voted for it!
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