Duterte, key figure in anti-Covid drive

INTERIOR SECRETARY Eduardo Año has said that tens of thousands of people had been saved from the deadly Covid-19 because of President Rodrigo Duterte’s swift response at the height of the pandemic.

“Sa panahon pong noon ay wala talaga tayong healthcare facilities at natatandaan ko mga 1,500 lang ‘yung ating test kit at panahon po na ‘yun talagang pumasok po ‘yung tinatawag natin na surge and you made the decision. Your decision, Mr. President, saved probably a hundred thousand lives. And, yes, others say 200,000 lives,” Año told Duterte during a recent televised meeting.

Año’s statement was also echoed by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who attended the meeting, adding Duterte’s support to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has contributed greatly to its successful Covid-19 information campaign.

It aided the successful implementation of public health measures such as wearing of face masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing and disinfection, among others, according to Andanar.

“Malaki po ang papel ng komunikasyon para sa epektibong pagpapatupad ng ating Covid-19 response. Tulad ng inyo pong ‘Talk to the People,’ napakalaking bagay po nito upang mabigyan ang publiko ng tunay na estado at sitwasyon mula noon hanggang ngayon,” he said.

PCOO said the Duterte administration allotted a total of P200-billion worth of aid for low-income households, farmers, and fisherfolk, affected by the health crisis, which was considered the biggest and widest social protection program in the country’s history. (Mark Navales and Malou Cablinda contributed to this report.)