Two senators on Wednesday reminded the national government not to undermine the local government units’ autonomy in leading their respective COVID-19 responses, including the distribution of cash aid to qualified beneficiaries.
In a statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said it is “irrational” for the central government to “nationalize an activity” which is best done in coordination with the LGUs.
He pointed out that local governments like Manila City have “boots on the ground and the muscle memory” to conduct large scale distribution of aid that the “understaffed” national agencies may find hard to do on their own.
“The best is still a bayanihan between the local and national governments,” Recto said.
The senator said passing the work load to local governments saves the government time and money.
It also saves the national government from embarrassment should they fail to do their tasks successfully.
“Mas kabisado ng city hall people ang mga kasuluk-sulukan ng kanilang lugar, pati mga eskinita saulado, kaysa naman doon sa mga central office bureaucrats,” he said.
(The people working in the city hall know every corner of their area, including the alleys, which the central office bureaucrats don’t know about.)
The lawmaker also noted how the local government of Manila had built a 344-bed field hospital in seven weeks, saying he is not aware of a “comparable feat done by the Department of Health.”
Moreover, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the central government to “stop undermining” the autonomy of the LGUs.
“Sa totoo lang, ang LGUs ang nagsasalba sa pandemic response ng bansang ito. Paulit-ulit na pinapatunayan ng ating mga governors, mayors, at barangay leaders na sa kabila ng bigat ng trabaho, kahit madalang ang baba ng ayuda, kahit limitado ang naibibigay sa kanilang mga bakuna, kahit mayroong nangmamaliit sa kanila, they still keep going,” she said.
(Truth be told, the LGUs are the ones that save the pandemic response of this country. Our governors, mayors, and barangay leaders continue to prove that even if the workloads are heavy, even if the cash aid is very seldom, even if the vaccine supplies are limited, even if they are being persecuted, they still keep going.)
Hontiveros also hit the administration’s alleged politicking amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Paanong nangyari na ang umano’y ‘best communicator’ ang nangunguna sa panggigipit sa isang local government unit? Paanong sa kabila ng bulok at nakakalitong sistema mula sa Malakanyang ay may oras pa silang maglabas ng blind item?” she said.
(How is it possible that this so-called “best communicator” led the harassment of one local government unit? How come that they were able to release a blind item while Malacañang’s system remain vague and confusing?)
Hontiveros was referring to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s description of President Rodrigo Duterte as the “best communicator.”
“Hindi mahirap sagutin kung sino ang tunay na bastos at sino ang patuloy na binabastos sa eksenang ito,” the lawmaker added.
(It’s not hard to identify who really is the disrespectful one and who is being shown disrespect in this instance.)
Furthermore, Hontiveros called on the national government to rationalize the distribution of vaccines, especially in areas that have the facilities for the vaccination program.
She noted the need for more supplies of COVID-19 vaccines in Region 7 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“Let us remember that our LGUs are the redeeming factor in this fight, especially against the new variants of COVID-19,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for the administration, which has been remiss in its duties to serve the people,” she added.
During his latest public address, President Rodrigo Duterte had mentioned a supposed presidential wannabe who posed for a picture wearing a bikini.
“Ang training, parang call boy. Iyan ang training ng presidente, maghubad at magpa-picture at magsilip, magyabang sa kanilang ari,” Duterte said.
The president did not mention any name but Manila Mayor Isko Moreno worked as an actor and model long before he was elected to public office.
After his tirades, Duterte said that he instructed the DILG and DSWD to take over the cash distribution duties from a “certain LGU” due to lack of organization.
The DILG on Tuesday morning said it has not received any instructions yet from the Malacañang regarding the stripping of the cash aid distribution duty of a certain local government unit.
Malacañang denied that Duterte had attacked Moreno and that he had stripped the Manila local government of authority to distribute cash aid to lockdown affected communities amid COVID-19 pandemic due to supposed incompetence.
On late Tuesday night, Moreno said the Manila government will start the cash aid distribution to the city’s residents today, August 11. — BM, GMA News
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