Just for one day
We can be heroes
We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day…
-Singer/Songwriter: David Bowie
DAY 11 of the Enhance Community Quarantine or ECQ (a euphemism or just a couple of degrees lower than lockdown) of the city and province of Iloilo. All the natives have to stay inside their homes as if their lives depend on it. Because it does.
No, Mayor Geronimo and Governor Toto have not jointly declared a local version of “martial law” although those pseudo-communists and trendy “activists” still in their 48 years of stupor have been wishing for this to happen.
The discerning and sensible native knows why we are in this situation, and it has no resemblance, not even remotely close, to anything political. It has simply to do with our survival.
We are now in a pandemic caused by the coronavirus a.k.a. SARS CoV-2 now more popularly known as COVID-19 and it’s not just happening in your neighborhood but all over the world.
This pandemic now threatening the very existence and survival of humanity is not something you can blame President Rodrigo Duterte, China and the Chinese people as you always do.
Yes, I’m fully aware that you are a racist and hate President Duterte, but blaming them won’t solve anything, and despite all the hate and blame that you spew out people will still get infected and die, a complete exercise in futility and stupidity, to say the least.
The frontliners fighting to stop the spread of COVID-19 are putting their lives at stake while you rant, spread fake news and, at any chance you get, put the government in a bad light.
Let’s talk about the frontliners; ordinary folks you won’t even give a second look yet they are holding the line for us. They’re our only and last line of defence against the onslaught of COVID-19.
They’re not rock stars, entertainers or professional athletes, just ordinary folks holding regular jobs, no glamour, sometimes boring ones that you took for granted until now.
The first lines of defence without a doubt are the medical people – doctors, medical technologists, nurses, laboratory technicians, nurses’ aides and the rest in the medical profession and service.
Everyday these unsung heroes battle it out in the trenches, up close and personal with the enemy. In fact, the parallel in war is that these medical people are actually fighting in a hand-to-hand combat against an unseen and treacherous enemy.
So far the lines are holding but not without cost as there have been casualties. We have already lost nine doctors; hopefully no more.
We have the next line of defence, the military personnel, soldiers, policemen, coastguard, the firemen, barangay officials and security guards. These unheralded heroes are manning the checkpoints, keeping peace and order and making sure the natives are following the quarantine.
You see, without them, if things escalate, we might have a breakdown of social order and what is worse than a pandemic is a pandemic coupled with a breakdown in social order.
I really find stupid that line; “medical solution and not military” from the usual suspects i.e., the pseudo-communists and “activists” including Leni Robredo
It does not take a rocket scientist to know that soldiers and policemen man checkpoints and not doctors and nurses, unless you’re going for a checkup. How can medical people perform their “medical solution” if there’s a breakdown in social order? Obviously you need soldiers and policemen to maintain the social order for doctors to perform their jobs.
And then we have the most underrated of these heroes – the cashiers and clerks in the grocery store manning their jobs so you can buy food; the bank people keeping the ATM working and filled with cash; the pharmacists and clerks in your local drugstore; the call center agents who volunteer to report for work to keep the industry alive; the government people manning the action centers; the janitors and utility people disinfecting the groceries and supermarkets; and the farmers, bakers so we can have food.
Last but certainly not the least, the media people, I mean the reporters, cameramen, photojournalists, editors, production and circulation. Our people need them to keep them informed.
And on top of these are our leaders, the President and his Cabinet, the mayors and governors. Like it or not, we have to trust them. They are our leaders now, we can play politics as soon as this is over.
If you noticed, I only mentioned the executive branch of our government. Our government has been functioning without any noise and interference from the senators and congressmen.
In this crisis with entitled assholes like Sen. “Koko” Pimentel, we certainly don’t need them./PN
