Inday Sara: Stop lockdowns, bring back jobs

CALATAGAN, Batangas — Vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday vowed to bring back jobs that were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte also expressed opposition to the enforcement of lockdowns amid the pandemic.

“Tigilan ang lockdown o alert level. Bukas, sarado. Bukas, sarado ang mga negosyo. Ibalik natin ang mga negosyo. Ibalik natin ang mga trabaho na nawala dahil sa pandemya,” Duterte said during a campaign rally at the Calatagan Gymnasium.

(Lockdowns and alert level should be stopped. Let’s bring back businesses. Let’s bring back jobs lost due to the pandemic.)

Duterte said she and presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would focus in bringing back jobs and businesses that have been lost and closed because of the effects of the health crisis as well as the enforcement of lockdowns.

“Ang dami po sa ating mga kababayan ang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya. Doon po muna tayo tututok, ibalik natin ang trabaho na mawala dahil sa pandemya,” Duterte said.

(A lot of our kababayans lost their jobs. Let’s focus on that. Let’s focus on bringing back jobs amid the pandemic.)

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Duterte administration imposed lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The police and the military implemented the restrictions, preventing mobility of the citizens.

At present, the alert level system is being enforced nationwide. Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in February that this system could not be scrapped yet pending significant COVID-19 vaccination coverage in regions. — RSJ, GMA News