Palace to critics: Help those in need amid COVID-19 crisis

Malacañang on Tuesday urged critics of the administration to help people in need amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has disrupted livelihoods and businesses. 

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement as he echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for unity to curb the spread of the deadly virus. 

“Doon naman sa mga kalaban sa pulitika, manahimik muna po tayo at gumawa na rin kayo ng mga sariling ninyong hakbang upang tumulong sa ating mga sinasakupan,” Panelo said in a televised briefing. 

Administration critics have alleged that the government has been slow in providing cash aid to 18 million poor families affected by the community quarantines that forced people to stay at home. 

Duterte has also been criticized for his order to authorities to shoot dead people who will employ violence after some Quezon City residents staged a protest last week over lack of food aid.

The President also told leftist groups not to instigate riots as they will be detained while the state of national emergency is in effect. 

Panelo, however, said threatening violators and enemies of the state with “deathly violence” is not a crime. 

Duterte has extended the Luzon-wide quarantine to April 30. It was originally scheduled to end on April 13. 

“Our government is doing its level best to stop, to halt the spread of this coronavirus because if we don’t do it then we might not survive it,” Panelo said. 

“Our nation’s survival really depends on how each one of us will be helping each other to protect one another from being infected by this deadly disease.” 

As of Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country reached 3,660, with 163 deaths and 73 recoveries. —KG, GMA News