Cheap antics

By Artchil B. Fernandez

 

At the height of the serious surge of Covid-19 infections in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas, Du30 went missing. It was also the time when records of daily cases of infections were broken several times, on an almost daily basis.

The recent serious surge of infections is very alarming and scary. Last year, the highest cases of infection did not reach 7,000 (6,958 recorded on August 10). Today, cases of infections range from 10,000 to 11,000 in a day on average.

Spike of infections forced the government to place NCR and surrounding areas (called NCR Plus or NCR Bubble) under surgical lockdown. While NCR Plus was under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), hospitals there were overwhelmed with cases and people scrambled for limited hospital beds. Many waiting patients died in tents outside the hospitals or in their cars parked on hospital grounds. Others expired as they are about to be admitted and some on their way to hospitals.

Heart-breaking stories circulated in traditional and social media on the horrible fate of people infected with Covid-19 virus as they succumbed to the disease. The pain and agony of the loved ones they left behind are disturbing and horrific to hear.

Amid the anguish and distress of the serious surge of the pandemic, Du30, the leader of the nation disappeared from public view. In a time when his leadership was badly needed to assuage the pain of a nation in agony, Du30 went into hiding.

Two weeks later, Du30 emerged from his bunker and confessed in his weekly night show that he did it (his absence) on purpose – to tease his political opponents. “When I was out for a few days, I intentionally did that. When you rummage through something about me, like a child, the more you taunt me the more I get interested,” he naughtily admitted.

The pandemic is running amok and people are dying by hundreds daily (the highest number of deaths in a day was 401 recorded on April 10, 2021) and Du30 was playing hide-and-seek. In the last two weeks when Du30 went missing, cases of Covid-19 breached 800,000 (853,209 as of April 10, 2021) and 14,744 Filipinos (breaking the 14,000 mark) died of Covid-19.  Cases now surpassed 900,000 (904,285 as of this writing)

During Du30’s absence, his long-time assistant moonlighting as a senator, Bong Go, posted pictures of Du30 having a time of his life. One picture showed Du30 leisurely jogging and another showed him enjoying a motorbike ride. A picture of Du30 playing golf was also shared by his aide.

Meanwhile, as Bong Go’s posts of Du30 having a good time went viral, the record of daily cases of infections was broken again when 12,674 Filipinos got Covid-19 and active cases nearing 200,000 at 190,245. This is Nero fiddling while Rome burns or classic Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cakes” outburst.

The leader of the nation golfing, jogging, motorbiking while people fight for limited hospital slots, Covid-19 patients die alone and the whole nation in a lockdown is insensitive, callous, and heartless. Du30’s total lack of empathy is beyond description.

The Philippines today is in a worse situation than last year when the pandemic broke out.  In terms of pandemic handling and management, Philippines had the poorest record in Asean and in the Asia-Pacific region. Du30’s response to the downward trajectory of the country is staging cheap antics like his stage-managed absence.

The current tragic plight of the Philippines with the pandemic getting out of control is largely attributed to the incompetence, laziness, ineptness and sheer irresponsibility of Du30 and his officials. The rising cases of infections, deaths, the health care system tottering and on the brink of collapse are all caused by the colossal failure of leadership in handling the pandemic.

To conceal his utter lack of leadership and management skill to deal with the pandemic that is claiming the lives of hundreds of Filipinos daily, Du30 resorted to shallow tricks like his disappearing act a la Houdini. When he appeared this week to the public, Du30 upped his cheap antic by resorting to dirty and trash talk.

Instead of speaking about the current situation on the pandemic, offer words to calm the nation, unite the people and inspire the country, Du30 started his national address by attacking his political opponents, cursing and spewing foul and dirty words. He talked about illegal drugs destroying the country accusing Sen. Leila De Lima of being involved in it. What universe does Du30 inhabit? Is he even aware there is a pandemic ravaging the nation now? There was no mention of mass testing or tracing.

It is clear Du30 attacked his opponents and returned to his favorite topic, illegal drugs to divert public attention from his ineptness. Since he miserably failed to manage the pandemic and is not capable of inspiring and uniting the nation, Du30 is forced to cover-up and hide his incompetence by politicking through dirty talk and cheap antics.

But no amount of cheap antics can conceal reality. Every day Filipinos wrestle with death by trying to keep themselves safe from the virus and by eking out a living to feed themselves. They face tough choices daily, either die from the virus or die from hunger. The only things that Du30 offers them to alleviate their anguish are cheap antics, dirty words and foul language. Worst, Du30 rubbed salt on their wound by sharing pictures of him taking pleasure in golfing, riding a motorbike and jogging.

The greatest tragedy that befell this nation in time of the most serious health crisis in a hundred years is to have an incompetent leader who is also insensitive and selfish. While Filipinos are engaged in life and death struggle amid the serious surge of infections, all that Du30 cares about is satisfying his hurt ego.

“The government right now, is like a headless chicken that is running without direction,” Ramon Tulfo, Du30’s long-time supporter aptly describes the current state of the nation.