President Rodrigo R. Duterte urged the public to trust the government amidst the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Monday night.
In his weekly address, President Duterte asked the Filipinos to “put their trust on the advice of government people” following the increase in the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country. He wished for people to participate in the government’s fight against the disease by following the safety protocols to pull the figures down.
“Maniwala kayo sa gobyerno, sumunod lang kayo. Iyan ang sikreto riyan. Hindi para sa ibang tao ‘yan, para sa iyo at para sa ibang tao kasi hawain mo (Trust the government. Just comply [with the protocols]. That’s the secret. It’s not for other people, but for you and other people that you might infect).”
The Chief Executive also disclosed that the government is finding a way to effectively combat the development of new COVID-19 variants. He reiterated that the government does not make mistakes because it is part of its duty.
“Bayad kami riyan. At kung bayad kami riyan, ano man gawin namin dito sa pagbabayad ninyo, mag-upo lang? ‘Di kung ano ‘yong mandate ng batas kasi kami ang inyong hinalal. Eh ‘di sumunod kayo kasi ito para man sa lahat, para man sa inyo. Hindi man ito para sa amin. (We are paid [to do this]. And if we are paid, what are we going to do with your payment, just sit around? We follow whatever the mandate of the law is because you elected us. Just obey the government because this is all for you, not for us),” he concluded.
-NGS, PTV News Online