I really couldn’t blame Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto’s recent rant after more than forty people were found partying inside an events place – at the height of the enhanced community quarantine being imposed over Metro Manila!
In frustration, the mayor tweeted, “Ang titigas ng ulo!”, referring to the revelers – some of them minors – who flouted the current ban on mass gatherings.
Come on, guys, I know we’re all having the so-called “pandemic fatigue” – plus that rage over the sheer incompetence of some of our government officials in handling this crisis.
But that’s no reason for us to deliberately flout rules and let off steam at a time when everyone else is on guard against the Delta variant.
-o0o-
And this is not the first time a local official has vented frustration over the incredible gall of some of our residents to disregard social health protocols.
In Biñan City, Mayor Arman Dimaguila reportedly warned that those caught violating health protocols might be cut off from the city’s “ayuda” program.
Apparently, the mayor has heard of some residents hiding behind a wake or “lamay” to indulge in a drinking spree. (Come to think of it, we Filipinos are experts at using wakes as a disguise for illegal activities such as gambling – which is why it’s now a common trope in television and movies to have wakes last for months due to “sakla.”)
Meanwhile, our staff had heard rumors of some hardcore drinkers pouring liquor on containers of juice and soft drinks, in an attempt to fool law enforcers.
Wait a minute, isn’t there a ban on buying and selling alcoholic drinks due to the ECQ?
Well, according to some of our sources, some residents anticipating the lockdowns and the liquor bans have reportedly gone on a buying spree and stocked up on alcoholic drinks a few days before the ECQ over the province went into effect.
Ang gagaling talaga ng mga Pilipino pagdating sa kalokohan.
-o0o-
As I am writing this article, the Philippines has finally breached more than 13,000 cases of Covid-19 a day.
Meanwhile, our health authorities insist that the number of the more contagious Delta variant is still manageable – 627 cases in total, as of August 12.
I’m no health expert nor a statistician, but if we look closely at the numbers, you might wonder whether our health officials are fudging the data.
Already registering 13,000 cases in a single day, the highest the country has reported since the pandemic began a year ago, and our officials still say we don’t have a community transmission of the Delta variant?