VP Robredo expresses dismay on LSIs in Rizal Memorial Sports Complex

Robredo commended the government agencies but expressed concern over the lack of “harmonization” in the efforts to eradicate the pandemic. (File Photo: VP Leni Robredo/Facebook)

Vice President Leni Robredo expressed dismay on Sunday over the lack of management of the locally stranded passengers crammed inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila during the government’s “Hatid Tulong” program.

The 8,408 stranded passengers were supposedly scheduled to return to their provinces over the weekend through the program instigated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), however, the number of passengers in the Sports Complex leave no room for social distancing.

The viral photos inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex showing no physical distancing and some of the passengers were not wearing masks alarmed the Vice President.

“Are these pictures real? If they are, shame on us,” Robredo said in her Facebook post.

“There has to be a better, more organized way of doing this without compromising the health and safety of our people,” she added.

She also suggested a few plans to regulate and organize the “Hatid Tulong” program, scheduled days for provincial buses instead of simultaneous departure in one day, pre-registration, and swab tests instead of rapid testing because of its unreliability.

“Hindi kasalanan ng tao. Hindi kasalanan ng tao kasi maraming desperate makauwi. Pero sana man lang, ginawan ng plano…kahit maliit iyong opisina namin, kahit paano iyong aming napauwi na 1,800-plus, so far wala pa doong nag-positive, kasi iyong aming protocols ay maayos (It’s not the fault of the people. It’s not their fault for desperately wanting to go home. The authorities would have made a plan. Even if our office is small, we were able to send home 1,800 people and none of them tested positive because our protocols are in order),” she said in her weekly radio show.

Robredo commended the government agencies but expressed concern over the lack of “harmonization” in the efforts to eradicate the pandemic.

“Ayaw kong tawaran iyong pagod ng mga nagtatrabaho, kasi alam ko nagtatrabaho—hindi naman ito katamaran, tingin ko hindi iyon. Pero walang manager. Walang manager (I don’t want to decry the efforts of those who are working, because I know they are doing their job—I don’t think it’s laziness. But there is just no manager),” she said.

“Noong nakita ko iyong mga pictures noong isang gabi pa, talagang nanlumo ako na grabe iyong ine-exert natin na effort sa social distancing, pero tayo mismo iyong violators. Mangyayari at mangyayari ito kung hindi maayos iyong pagplano. Walang excuse eh. (When I saw the pictures the other night I was saddened because we exert so much effort in enforcing social distancing but we’re also the violators. This will surely happen when there’s a lack of planning. There’s no excuse),” she continued.

The Vice President said that she has written to National Task Force (NTF) chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez regarding her recommendations on rapid testing, but she has not received a response yet.

“I am all for helping locally stranded passengers per home to their destinations. But let us do it right please,” she concluded in her Facebook post.

Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo said on Monday that eight to nine locally stranded individuals at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex tested positive of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Philippines as of Sunday reported 80,448 cases of COVID-19, with 26,110 recoveries and 1,932 deaths.