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by K U P I T - 1 9 People want to feel joy in everything. Finding joy is probably one of people’s aspirations in life, and each day holds a possibility of great discoveries and hidden joy. However, joy cannot be easily found and felt, especially in Quezon City. With the recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines, mayors of various cities have taken measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Quezon City holds the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, but the city’s mayor, “Jhoy Belmonte Aligunggung” seems to be more active in social media than in extending aid to her constituents. What on earth have you been doing, Jhoy? March 15, she posted on Facebook that for her birthday, she has decided to distribute 100,000 health packs to indigent families. Take note: HAS DECIDED. Come on, Jhoy. Is not that your job as the mayor, and not just a random decision for you to make? You are not elected by your constituents just for you to decide whether or not they will receive assistance from you. IT IS YOUR JOB. Moreover, it was rumored that a garbage truck was used to distribute relief goods around the vicinity as photos of a yellow rusty truck loaded with tons of relief goods circulated around social media. The local government of Quezon City strongly denied the allegation and indicated that the truck used was a cargo/utility truck. Nonetheless, if it was indeed a garbage truck, people would not die of COVID-19 — people will die because of this idiocy.
March 22, in an interview, Jhoy admitted that three COVID-19 positive patients were sent home as hospital facilities around Quezon were already overwhelmed with confirmed cases. Yes, you read it right. The three patients were positive, and they were SENT HOME. “They are showing, fortunately, just very, very mild symptoms. And I think, probably, they might be asymptomatic that’s why also there’s a little bit of lack of concern to isolate them in a facility,” Jhoy said, all smiles. She continues, saying, “Now, what’s happening is the person gets tested but because there’s no place for them to stay while they’re waiting for the results, they get sent home. So, even if they’re positive, they get sent home.” Even if it was not actually Jhoy who sent the patients home, she could have thought of alternatives to isolate the patients to prevent the virus from spreading in the community the patients lived in. Is she really trying to prevent a contagion, or is she promoting one?
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People, indeed want to find and feel joy. However, if it is Quezon City’s Jhoy, no thanks. The pandemic brought out the officials who were actually worthy of the citizens’ votes and revealed the true colors of officials who were all sizzle and no steak. This is an important reminder for all of us capable of voting, that we should be keen on who we put on the seats of the government. At trying times like this, the only hope of many Filipinos is those seated in the government.
Photo Courtesy of Pep.ph
March 19, after receiving backlash from netizens and constituents for her incompetence as compared to the other mayors in the metro, she stressed, “To those who hate me, you are under no obligation to accept any of my projects - housing, education, healthcare, social benefits” and that “they (her bashers) are welcome to exercise their right to refuse.” Unless you emptied your pockets to fund your projects, Ms. Jhoy Belmonte Aligunggung, you have no right to be selective on who reaps the benefits of your projects. Your projects are funded by the taxes paid by the citizens of your jurisdiction — every one of these citizens, whether a basher or a supporter, is entitled to benefit from your projects.
April 01, 21 residents of the city were arrested for staging a protest due to the lack of food and relief support amid the government’s implementation of a lockdown. Formal charges were filed against the individuals arrested, but thankfully, each have posted bail partly funded by kindhearted individuals. The arrest is not the issue — the lack of food and relief support is. Jhoy was all about repacking relief goods for thousands of families under her jurisdiction and house-to-house distribution of these food packs was even promised. The local government of Quezon City insisted that every individual of the city benefited from the continuous distribution of the food packs, but how come some residents were not able to receive the food aid? Where did the promised food packs go?
