Frontliners in Marawi get death threats

Medical frontliners in Marawi, Lanao del Sur have been receiving death threats as residents expressed disbelief over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fatalities reported by hospitals amid the pandemic.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras,” the Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC) said that numerous dummy accounts in social media are saying that a medical frontliner should die so that hospitals will stop declaring that its patients died of the virus.

“Ang paniwala nila na kami ‘yung gumagawa ng positive cases, kahit ‘yung negative pina-positive namin. Hindi lahat ng positive na patient ay makaka-collect kami ng PhilHealth,” said APMC chief Dr. Shalimar Raklin.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation chief Abdul Jamal Dimaporo said that the accounts must be stopped as this may urge others to take action.

“We have to stop that kasi baka may ibang tao diyan na iba ang pag-iisip, nakita nila ‘yung mga ganon na post, puwede na sila mismo ang mag [take ng] action,” Dimaporo said.

Though Marawi has been placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine, some residents still refused to wear face masks.

This includes a vendor who only kept his face shield and face mask close in case he was reprimanded by authorities. He said it was difficult to believe in the existence of the virus as it could not be seen. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News