Kiko, Bello blast gov't COVID-19 response; other VP bets suggest improvements

Vice presidential candidates in the 2022 elections on Sunday said there is much to be improved in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan blaming "incompetent" leadership and former lawmaker Walden Bello describing it as "militaristic."

"If the surge in COVID-19 cases will happen and the corrupt and incompetent people are still at the helm, magkakaproblema tayo [we'll have a problem]," ranted Pangilinan during the vice presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"Dapat tanggalin na sila at palitan ng mahusay at tapat sa panunungkulan [They should be removed and replaced by competent and honest leaders]."

Bello, meanwhile, said the issue with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation showed there was corruption in how the national government implemented its COVID-19 response, which he described as "militaristic."

"Ang daming corruption diyan [There is a lot of corruption there], the whole Pharmally thing is a stain on the government so I would say one, we need to have an approach that is participatory, hindi [not] militaristic. And we need to give priority to the opinions of the medical community instead of seeing them as enemies," Bello said.

He added that there should be a proper budget for frontline workers and assistance for communities. He likewise agreed that the government must develop its manufacturing capacity to develop COVID-19 vaccines.

"The government must really actively work with other countries in the global south to break this monopoly on trade intellectual property rights," Bello said.

Salaries, hazard pay

For Senate President Vicente Sotto III, improving the country's pandemic response should include local production of medical supplies and improving the salaries and hazard pay of medical frontliners, including barangay health workers.

Sotto lamented that hazard pay for frontline health workers was not given on time despite its inclusion in the special laws that were passed by Congress as part of the pandemic response.

"'Yung hazard pay nila na nilagay naman namin sa Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan 2, hindi agad naibibigay [The hazard pay that was in Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws was not given immediately]," he said.

Slow start

Manny Lopez, meanwhile, said the government's pandemic response
"started a bit slow but it has improved across time." For this he credited the Filipinos' "bayanihan spirit" and the initiatives of the private and public sectors.

Lopez proposed for a "science-based, pragmatic and cost-effective" approach to pandemic management that is devoid of commercialism, profit maximization and politics."

"This will not be the last, we will be facing a lot more epidemics, pandemics and other diseases in the course of time," he said.

Lopez suggested improving the public healthcare system by having more doctors, providing scholarships, and building more hospitals.

New surge

Dr. Willie Ong, who warned of another possible surge amid the increase of COVID-19 cases in other Asian countries, said the government must establish an infectious disease hospital, a COVID-19 field hospital, and the Philippines' own Center for Disease Control. He also proposed the procurement of COVID-19 drugs and free testing. Focus, he said, should also be given to healthcare workers and mental health.

"Pag nagawa natin itong lima, okay tayo mag-open, pero kung mag-open lang basta-basta nang hindi natin ginagawa itong lima, eh wala, babalik lang tayo sa lockdown," Ong said.

(If we can do these five, then we can remove the restrictions. But if we're just going to open just for the heck of it and without these five, we'd be in lockdown again.)

Listen to experts

Rizalito David, meanwhile, agreed with Bello that the government should listen to medical and scientific experts

"Dapat lahat ng stakeholders kausapin, medical and the entire scientific community, para magkaroon ng consensus," he said at the PiliPinas Debates 2022.

(There should be coordination with all stakeholders, the medical and the entire scientific community, so that there would be a consensus.)

If ever there will be another resurgence of the virus, David propose a meeting with all stakeholders to create a sufficient solution in addressing the issues.

He also agreed with Sotto regarding the use of prophylaxis.

Research & development

Carlos Serapio, though he believes that the government "has done its best" to address the pandemic, said he would push for "more research and development" if he becomes vice president.

"I will put a lot of premium on research and development. And at the same time also try to get the country together and not have this division between pro-vax and anti-vax. We should also have organic-based natural response to the pandemic," he said. —Llanesca Panti, Hana Bordey, Anna Felicia Bajo, Joahna Lei Casilao, Richa Noriega, Jamil Santos, Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News