Boholanos, who were able to respond to a random survey of The Bohol Tribune, nix the idea of eliminating the so-called “home quarantine pass” for people to freely move around.
The Bohol Tribune’s managing editor Ardy Araneta-Batoy, started a random survey via her personal Facebook account on Tuesday evening, July 28, 2020. She extended the survey in the radio program “Newsmakers Ug Uban Pa” on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
Batoy asked netizens and radio listeners if they agree to eliminate the need to have HQP.
The random survey results show that an overwhelming majority of Boholanos are not in favor to eliminate the HQP.
Majority of the survey respondents said that given the current situation in Bohol, the elimination of the HQP could spell disaster and open the door to additional cases of possible community transmissions.
As of this writing, there are at least 10 community transmission cases in the last two weeks. The latest community case involved a 64-year-old female from San Miguel town. The patient died on July 22, 2020 and the test result was released only last Wednesday, July 29, 2020, according to reports.
The survey is an offshoot of reports that a segment of the Boholano society is allegedly pushing for the elimination of the HQP so people can move freely, thereby, activily participating in the reopening of the local economy.
Some reports received by The Bohol Tribune alleged that this segment of the Bohol society is aiming putting pressure on the governor to remove the protocol on the HQP.
There were allegations that there is a move to discredit the governor by making it appear that the top local official in the province has no initiative and has failed in his response to the cornonavirus disease (Covid) problem in the province.
REACTION
In a radio interview, Kevin Damalerio, the head of the information cluster at the Capitol, gave his reaction on the allegations hurled at the governor.
He gave his reaction during the Wednesday, July 29, 2020, episode of Open Forum.
Damalerio said that it is unfair to accuse the governor and the provincial government of not having done any initiative to contain and respond to the Covid problem in the province.
He pointed out that if the provincial government didn’t and doesn’t have any initiative to contain the Covid problem, it is possible that as of now, the Covid situation in the province could have been a duplication of what is happening in our neighboring areas where the number of Covid positive cases is alarming.
“The number speaks for itself,” Damalerio said.
The province has managed to keep the number of active cases minimal with four (4) Covid-related deaths, he said.
Moreover, the statistics show the ability of the Yap administration to contain the problem,
He reiterated that businesses are useless if public health is put in peril.
In the same interview, it was bared that the governor has plans for the local economy, but the current situation does not allow the full reopening of all industries in the province.
The sector of Boholano society floated an accusation that the governor disobeyed the
Omnibus Guidelines of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF). The accusation stems from the IATF’s guideline that the HQP is no longer needed in places under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) a category where Bohol belongs.
Damalerio said that if all of the IATF’s guidelines were to be followed, then senior citizens aged 60 and above will not be allowed to go out and there will be no window days to break the 24-hour curfew. This also applies to minors aged 21 years old and below, who are barred from going out of their homes and who are not supposed to be given window days where they can break their 24-hour curfew.
Currently, senior citizens aged 65 years old and above are on 24-hour curfew except on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6am to 6pm. Young people aged 18 years old and below are on 24-hour curfew except on Fridays and Saturdays from 6am to 6pm, and should be accompanied by a an adult who is not a senior citizen aged 65 years old and above.
The containerized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory Is yet to be operational and the contact tracing cards are yet to be distributed, and with this situation it is an unwise move to eliminate the use of the HQP as mentioned in the IATF Omnibus Guidelines, Damalerio said.
Damalerio added that the governor modified the IATF Omnibus Guidelines to align with the needs of the local population.
CALLERS’ REACTIONS
Meanwile, radio callers who heard the alleged accusation hurled against the governor regarding his inability to put up initiatives to solve the Covid problem in the province strongly came to the governor’s rescue. Callers cited several initiatives which the governor has done and has been doing. One caller even became emotional by telling the radio audience that everytime she listens to the governor speak on air, she can’t help but cry as she notices the sincerity of the governor in what he is doing in the province. Other callers appealed to the audience to stop accusing the governor by saying he has not done anything because this is not true.