Duterte lashes out at donors who make people line up for food

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night lashed out at donors who are making people line up for food amid the scarcity caused by the community quarantines to address COVID-19 pandemic.

Without naming the community pantries, Duterte said such activities made coronavirus transmission more probable

"People were swarming. It might not be the first thing that you did with your idea. From there, it generated itong mga ganito. So nagkalapit-lapit hanggang magtaas na naman," Duterte said in his weekly talk to the people.

[People were getting physically close to one another until the cases would again spike.]

"So we are again forced to enforce a quarantine to limit people from going around and passing the COVID virus to a lot of people," he added.

Community pantries have sprouted in many areas in the country to help residents in need of food through donated goods by citizens.

"Hindi ninyo alam ang consequences [You don't know the consequences]... It has something to do with just common sense," Duterte said.

"Hindi ninyo alam na magdumugan 'yong mga tao. 'Yan ang mahirap tapos ang gobyerno ang masama," he added.

[You did not anticipate that people would crowd there. That's what's wrong and then you will blame the government.]

Duterte said the government had been quietly delivering aid to poor Filipinos.

"I'm forced to publicize this because I want to stress the point that there could have been a better way of doing things," Duterte said.

"There has to be some sense in what you're doing," he added.

Further, he urged those in need to wait for aid or coordinate with barangay officials.

"Maraming tulong. Hindi na kailangan 'yang ipaano mo pa because it will really cause a bedlam whether you like it or not," Duterte said. —NB, GMA News