Andronico Del Rosario
It has been more than a year since President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the country into lockdown, yet his call remains the same: free face masks for Filipinos, especially to the less fortunate.
Duterte reiterated this need during his weekly appearance on Monday, March 15, saying that most Filipinos could not afford to buy new masks because of lack of funds.
He also said he could not expect Filipinos to comply with health protocols because face masks are not affordable.
With a new surge in COVID-19 cases exactly a year since the pandemic hit the country, President Duterte says the government should provide face masks to the public.
Related report: https://t.co/JBXt4eO4NU pic.twitter.com/yhZ9tfne5W
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) March 15, 2021
Such gave the Netizens the ‘serious case of déjà vu’, as Duterte seemed to revert to policies put in place at the beginning of the pandemic—and policies that have since been proven ineffective.
Film director Antoinette Jadaone sounded livid at Duterte who was still calling for free face masks in 2021.
2021 na di ba??? Facemasks for everybody pa rin ang panukala?! https://t.co/qeZo1YNKVF
— Toñet (@tonetjadaone) March 16, 2021
Netizens had to do a ‘double take’ to make sure Jadaone was not sharing any old articles.
I double-checked the date kasi baka kako last year pa 'to. But no. You're just now po? https://t.co/jesJCoykl0
— Nico Chiong (@nicochiong_) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/joane_christine/status/1371847234040569870
The way news outlets are making the headlines nowadays hahaha ugh the frustration ugh https://t.co/iOBUf7E9kT
— Arth (@OhPeraNiya) March 16, 2021
Hol up. Are we back in time? Is it MARCH 2020?? No. This is a recent press briefing from the president. Twenty Fuckin Twenty One. https://t.co/yuCKWCxwtn
— J L R (@HeyJerve) March 16, 2021
Vlogger Chuckie Dreyfus shared another return-to-2020 policy: a travel ban for both foreigners and Filipino tourists.
https://twitter.com/chuckiedreyfus/status/1371853835904372753
In his post, Dreyfus said the news he shared is not old news or a late post. It’s a policy that the National Task Force for COVID-19, commonly referred to as the IATF, has implemented to prevent newer COVID-19 variants from coming into or out of the country.
A Netizen @Kulotissima noticed the same article as she linked it to one of Duterte’s landmark legislation. She referred to the extension of passport validity to 10 years.
Kaya pala pina-extend yung passport validity ni Duterte ng 10 years kasi hindi natin siya magagamit nang medyo matagal na panahon. 🤡 #DutertePalpak https://t.co/m4hFqYMXE0 pic.twitter.com/gydG3OFcv1
— Kulotissima (@kulotissima) March 17, 2021
Another said his stay in Japan got extended because of the month-long ban on entry from other countries.
https://twitter.com/enzoserafica/status/1371976465164558339
What made it worse for Netizens was when Sen. Richard Gordon suggested that the IATF was not in the business of consulting medical professionals and disease specialists.
Sen. Gordon: IATF should consult medical professionals, specialists, scientists
— News Watch Plus PH (@newswatchplusph) March 17, 2021
It hit Netizens like a dozen #ThrowbackThursdays–all arriving at the same time.
Uhhh so what is the composition of IATF?
Oh, right, kapag walang nag-a-agree sa rhetoric nila, they ignore anyway.
Gotcha. https://t.co/IKtgk5Mg3f
— Peter Cayton, the Stats Guy (@PJACaytonPhD) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/jiyiijiyo/status/1372175596617297923
WHAT WHAT SOOO THE RATIONALE BEHIND IMPLEMENTED PROTOCOLS AREN’T BACKED UP BY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES AND OPINIONS? jack en poy lang???? https://t.co/13uIuOHIG8
— i’ll be there🤸🚶♀️ (@d_evil_jin) March 17, 2021
One netizen took it further and said the IATF must compose of a team of medical experts, disease specialists, and other experts.
The IATF should be comprised of medical professionals, scientists, and specialists in the first place.
Putangina naman isang taon na ganito pa rin usapan natin. https://t.co/QRn5JEk55D
— Ralphosaur (@heyralphhey) March 17, 2021
To date, the IATF only has one person with medical experience: Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, though his track record does not exactly inspire confidence.
Netizens previously had a hit of déjà vu after the Department of Interior and Local Government called for an increase in police visibility as well as uniform curfew hours before the week began.
