VP Robredo: LGUs left unheard in crafting lockdown policies

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday lamented that local government units, especially in the provinces, were not consulted by the national government regarding lockdown policies.

Robredo made the remark after the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) appealed to defer to November 1 the expansion of the implementation of the COVID-19 alert level system restrictions outside Metro Manila. 

"Maraming LGU na nagsasabi na na-announce na pero maghihintay kami kasi 'di namin alam kung ano ang implications. Pambihira, one-and- a-half years na tayo sa pandemic, hindi pa rin natin naiintindihan ito dahil sa papalit-palit," said Robredo in her weekly radio program.

(A lot of LGUs still do not understand the alert level system. We have been one-and-a-half years into the pandemic but still there are confusions because the policies keep on changing.)

"Daming LGUs tayo na nakakausap, at yung reklamo talaga, halos lahat sila gumagawa ng [policies] pero hindi naman sila nabibigyan ng enough na boses sa pag-contribute sa paggawa ng policy," she added.

[LGUs complain about being not consulted and their voices unheard of in the formulation of policies.]

Robredo also recalled a letter that her office wrote to presidential spokesman Harry Roque, asking the Inter-Agency Task Force to include the LPP in decision-making processes regarding lockdowns.

But she said Roque denied the request because, according to him, the Department of the Interior and Local Government already represented the LGUs.

"Pero ang daming gaps, hindi sila napapakinggan. So hanggang ngayon, problema natin ito e kung nakinig sila nabigyan itong linaw. Pero ayaw nila (national government)," Robredo said.

(There are a lot of gaps and LGUs are not being listened to. So until now, we have a problem. Had they been consulted, their concerns could have been sorted out.)

In addition, Robredo said she understood LPP President  and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr.'s concerns on the expansion of alert level system, adding that LGUs will need more time to implement the new quarantine classifications.

"Sinasabi niya (Velasco) kailangan namin ng oras kasi siyempre magpapasa sila ng EO, irereview nila guidelines ng enforcement siyempre magdi-disseminate sila ng impormasyon sa constituents na 'di ito automatic kasi papalit-palit na nga kung hindi papalit-palit ang panuntunan sana automatic ito. Pero dahil papalit-palit kailangan nila iyon," Robredo said.

(What Velasco is saying is that they need more time as they need to pass a local executive order, review the guidelines, and disseminate the information to constituents and that these things are not automatic because national government keep changing these quarantine classifications.)

The government has implemented Alert Level Systems in National Capital Region since September 16, but the Palace later on revealed that the system was enforced in other provinces.

Malacañang announced on Tuesday that Negros Oriental and Davao Occidental will be under Alert Level 4, the most stringent classification.

Alert Level 3 is up over Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Siquijor, Davao City and Davao del Norte.

Areas under Alert Level 2 include: Batangas, Quezon, Lucena City, Bohol, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

Under the IATF guidelines, alert level systems will cover entire cities or municipalities to stop the further spread of COVID-19 infection. —LBG, GMA News