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opinion
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Editorial
Pandemic of the WorkingClass On December 23, 2021, Gwyneth Chua went to a Christmas party — a day after her return from the United States — completely disregarding the required two-week quarantine for people going into the country. It would have been another footnote to the ever-growing list of people who manage to get away with policy violations, if not for her testing positive and (allegedly) spreading COVID days later. Chua was fetched by her father shortly after checking into the Berjaya Makati Hotel, going completely unnoticed by the hotel staff. Based on the information gathered from the investigations done after the incident, she was able to escape community quarantine through her “connections”, allowing her to attend a party in Makati. This incident has highlighted the gap between the rich and the poor which was already visible amidst this pandemic. It shows how protocols can be easily bent to the will of those who have power, authority, or connections. WHIMS OVER NECESSITY It’s extremely frustrating for everyone to see issues like these become common in our country. Netizens have always demanded accountability and proper implementation of penalties to no effect. A notable example of this early in the pandemic is when Senator Pimentel accompanied his wife to
the catalysts The Official Publication of the Online Journalism Press Conference VOLUME I ISSUE 2 · January 2022
the Makati Medical Center (MMC) even though he had tested positive for COVID-19. This incident clearly shows a breach of quarantine protocols, however, the DOJ says otherwise. Another infamous case is that of Debold Sinas, the ex-chief of the PNP. He also attended a party during the early days of the pandemic. Quarantine rules and regulations were already in place and he chose to ignore it, making the risk of catching the virus very probable. Likewise, working class people have also violated guidelines, but with entirely different motivations. Everyone was affected by the pandemic, especially these people; they broke these rules not for the pursuit of entertainment but rather for survival. While the working class are constantly warned to follow strict protocols, this was certainly not the case for people with power. R.A. 11332 — a law that was used to keep people from violating the quaran-
When people break the rules for the sake of survival and get easily punished, it just goes to show how much power people with authority have over the justice system of the Philippines.
tine protocols — was suddenly not applicable for Senator Pimintel, or for Sinas, and if the administration doesn’t play their cards right, it will be in Gwyneth Chua’s case as well. When people break the rules for the sake of survival and get easily punished, it just goes to show how much power people with authority have over the justice system of the Philippines. Normal people are always haunted by these protocols and laws, but those with power easily brush them off. REBALANCING THE SCALES The Republic Act 11332 is not the only main factor on the differences of the weight of the crimes committed; the IATF and their ever-changing rulings of quarantine must also be considered. With short notice of rule changes and the unpredictable nature of the virus, it is hard to keep up with everything. This causes confusion on which locations are on lockdown, which protocols to follow, and the
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fines on their offenses. With this, panic may set in and many people ignore the implemented quarantine protocols in their area for their necessity. The IATF implements stricter protocols on OFWs and tourists making the Chua case more valid for having a heavier offense while the Pimentel case was lighter. However, the RA 11332 was broad in terms of Section 9 which confused the DOJ and the lawyers alike that it became hard to argue whether Pimentel broke guidelines or if he followed it correctly. The question remains: how can we mitigate these types of cases from occurring once more? The government can start by at least updating RA 11332’s definition of “non-cooperation”. Better yet — pass a law that specifically covers such events from reoccurring by being stricter around medical agencies and health institutions. Monitoring and implementations of mandatory quarantine should be stricter from those that came from a trip either overseas or locally since the spread of the disease would be more confined inside a plane, a ship, or any transportation that can carry multiple people. When the justice system finally regards everyone in equal light, then we can eventually stop the abuse of power and start closing the gap between the rich and the poor. With the pandemic putting the poor at more disadvantage, this type of injustice must not add more to that.