Lacson to scrap lockdowns if elected president in Eleksyon 2022

Citing the adverse impact of lockdowns to the economy, Senator Panfilo Lacson said he is eyeing to scrap lockdowns from the government’s COVID-19 response if elected president in Eleksyon 2022.

“Actually, we’re toying on the idea na after June 30 next year, kung kami ‘yung papalarin, we’re thinking of, wala na tayong lockdown kasi di nagwo-work yung longest lockdown e,” Lacson said during the Pandesal Forum Thursday.

(We are toying with the idea that after June 30 next year, we won't have a lockdown anymore because the lockdown approach is not working.)

“Patay na yung economy natin. Ang daming nawalan ng trabaho, ang daming nagsara, lockdown tayo nang lockdown, hindi naman nagwo-work. So baka merong ibang approach,” he added.

(Our economy is already dead. There are many Filipinos who are not employed, a lot of establishments have closed down, yet we are still imposing lockdowns. It is not working and maybe there are better approaches.)

Lacson mentioned Nikkei Asia's COVID-19 Recovery Index, which showed that the Philippines is at the bottom of the ranking on infection management, vaccine rollouts and social mobility.

“COVID-19 is here to stay. We don’t know when it will end…but there are other ways na dapat mag-modify,” he said.

He recalled his interpellation with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during the Senate budget hearing on Wednesday, where he asked why the Philippines is always at the bottom of COVID-19 resilience rankings.

“Tayo ang longest lockdown sa buong mundo. So, pinaparusahan natin ang ekonomiya at hindi nagwo-work ang health efforts natin para ma-cure ang COVID,” he said.

(We have the world's longest lockdown. We are punishing the economy with health efforts that do not work.)

Lacson pointed that corruption is also a “factor” in the COVID-19 situation in the country.

“Mayroong corruption involved in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayroong inefficiency, mayroong incompetence and these we intend to do away with,” he said.

(There is corruption involved in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. There is inefficiency, there is incompetence, and these are what we intend to do away with.)

“So, ang dami nating problema, hindi lang COVID pandemic lalo na yung post-pandemic,” he added.

(The next leadership will have to deal not just with the pandemic but with the post-pandemic problems.) — RSJ, GMA News