By Maria Romina Austria
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
Dr. Richard Mata, a pediatrician and a motivational speaker according to his Facebook profile, called out Angel Locsin minutes before a senior citizen fainted and eventually died during the actress’ community pantry activity in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City on Friday.
Posting photos from the event that showed people huddled, some with face shields up, he advised Locsin to stop the pantry and resume once they find a way to implement social distancing, never mind the long lines.
“Ma’am Angel Locsin, please po, pahinto niyo po ito muna. Tapos bukas uli, pero mahaba na na pila na may social distancing. Virus tayo nito. Paki fire na lang din ng organizer niyo. Dahil kayo po ang mapapahiya at ang mamamayan ang mapapahamak. Unless di po kayo naniniwala sa Covid. 'Wag po pasaway (Ma’am Angel Locsin, please put a stop to this. Resume tomorrow with longer lines but with social distancing. We have a virus situation. Please fire your organizers, too. You will be blamed for this and the citizens may be infected. Unless you don’t believe in Covid. Don’t be stubborn),” Mata posted at 10:04 a.m.
“Sa suffocation at heatstroke ka una mamatay dyan (Suffocation and heatnstroke will kill you),” he said.
At about 11 a.m., it was all over social media and news outlets that 67-year-old Rolando dela Cruz, among the thousands who hoped to get free goods from Locsin’s community pantry along Holy Spirit Drive in Don Antonio Heights, lost consciousness and was declared dead on arrival in a hospital.
Locsin, who organized the pantry to mark her 36th birthday, apologized and confirmed that dela Cruz had been in queue since 3 a.m.
She coordinated with the family and vowed to support them all the way.
Mata said he admonishes even local officials who fail to implement health protocols and he will not hesitate to do the same with celebrities.
“Titirahin din namin po kayo kahit namimigay kayo, kasi wala din po kayong disiplina. Totoo po ang Covid. Ang mga litrato na ito ang rason bakit tayo dumadami sa Pinas (We will also lash at you even if you give free goods because you lack discipline. Covid is real. These photos show why cases are rising in the Philippines),” Mata said.
Netizen Nowill Chavenia commented on Mata’s post, saying the public should at least contribute discipline in the fight against Covid-19.
“#Disiplina muna, 'yung nalang ang iambag natin. ‘Wag lahat isisi sa gobyerno dhl tayo mismo hindi magawa ang mga simpleng bagay. Isipin n’yo ‘pag nagkasakit ka kahit hindi Covid, mahirap hanapan ng hospital ngayon. Mag-isip muna tayo. Gamitin ang isip, ‘wag puro tigas ng ulo at ‘wag ipagsawalang bahala ang nangyayari ngayon. Tandaan na nasa ang huli ang pagsisisi (Let’s practice discipline first. You cannot always blame the government because we ourselves do not follow basic rules. Even if it’s not Covid, it’s hard to find a hospital that will accommodate you. Think, don’t be stubborn, and don’t disregard the situation. You might regret this in the end),” the netizen said.
Coordination needed
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año told the Philippine News Agency on Friday that what happened at Locsin’s event showed why coordination, with village officials at least, is necessary.
“It's the organizer's responsibility to impose the health standards protocol. That's the primary reason why they have to coordinate with the LGUs (local government units) so that the latter can provide assistance,” he said.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who previously said community pantries have her full backing, still will not require permits or clearances but asked organizers "to submit a written notice to the barangay where the pantry is located, including indicating the person responsible for its operation.”
Pantry organizers and the village may coordinate regarding reasonable crowd control measures, such as setting a cut-off time for persons in a queue, limiting the number of persons served in a day or for certain periods such as morning or afternoon, and using marshals to enforce health protocols and disperse overcrowding, the city noted in a statement on Saturday.
Pantry operators are also ordered to maintain cleanliness in their immediate vicinity.
“They are also responsible for food safety. Food must be fresh or not expired, and no adulterated, spoiled or unsanitary foods shall be distributed,” Belmonte said in her directive.
Barangay Holy Spirit Chair Felicito Valmocina said Locsin’s social media invitation and poor coordination contributed to the incident.
“Her Facebook followers 21 million, in Instagram 8.6 million, in Twitter 12.6 million. So that is why all these people came over because of her post),” Valmocina said in a phone interview on Friday.
He also lamented that organizers prepared items good for just 300 people and did not anticipate that thousands may arrive.
Tough job
Twitter users @LakasNgTimog and @MacLen315 said in a post that Locsin should realize by now the tough job of running a country.
“If you can’t even manage a crowd of 1,000 during your birthday pantry, then where do you find the audacity to insult and criticize someone who’s doing his damn best to herd 110 million Pinoys?” the netizen said.
The user added the government also deals with the drug war, terrorism, unemployment, vaccination, Covid-19 cases, and insurgency, to name a few.
“Hindi namin sinasabing perpekto ang pamahalaan. Ang amin lang, maging patas kayo pumuna. Hindi madaling mamuno (We do not say the government is perfect. Just be fair with your criticisms. It’s not easy to be a leader),” the post read.
@MacLen315 said aside from good intention, community pantries also entail planning and coordination.
“Barangay lang yan, Angel Locsin. Mahirap ba ang trabaho ng President??? Siguro naman masasagot mo na yan ngayong naranasan mo na (It’s just one village, Angel Locsin. Is it hard to be a country’s President???? Maybe you can answer that yourself now that you have experienced it)," he tweeted.
Another Twitter user, @pauloMDtweets, said celebrities should learn from the incident.
“Alam naman nating celebrity si Angel Locsin and Filipinos are very fanatic sa mga artistas. Dudumugin at dudumugin yan ng mga tao kasi may artista (Angel Locsin is a celebrity and Filipinos are fanatics. People will naturally converge if there is a celebrity.) This can be a lesson for us to think ahead and plan properly to avoid unwanted incidents,” he tweeted.
@boyantingasngas tweeted Locsin should be blamed if the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is extended beyond April 30.
“’Pag na-extend ang MECQ. ‘Pag dumami uli kaso ng Covid. Sisihin nyo si Angel Locsin. Siya ngawngawin nyo (If MECQ is extended. If Covid cases rise. Blame Angel Locsin. Rant on her),” the post read.
Praises
Just the same, Locsin also earned praises for her good intentions.
“No forgiveness needed; at least she tried to feed them; one was so starved and weak she couldn’t feed him in time. Blame those who don’t do what she and others like her – like my friends from the very start of the pandemic – are trying to do: feed the hungry and not their egos,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1137887
