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‘What’s the plan?’ PH celebrities are done with Duterte’s tardiness, lack of details

Rappler.com

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‘What’s the plan?’ PH celebrities are done with Duterte’s tardiness, lack of details
The country's celebrities express disappointment after President Rodrigo Duterte's address to the nation airs hours later than promised and is devoid of any real detail

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine celebrities sure didn’t hold back from expressing their disappointment over the lack of “transparency” or details of any actual plan on the novel coronavirus pandemic following President Rodrigo Duterte’s late night press conference on March 30.

The press conference aired at around 11 pm, or 7 hours after the “tentative” 4 pm start earlier announced by a Palace spokesman. 

“Waiting for the President,” actress Janine Gutierrez had tweeted earlier in the day, embedding an Astro Poets reading for the week, which “predicted” she’d be “waiting for someone.”

 

Once the press conference ended, Janine said that she “appreciated the visibility” but said it means “nothing without transparency.” “Hay. Nakakalungkot. Kung essay yun sa exam, hindi papasa. Wala naman yatang nasagot sa mga tanong ng bayan, (It’s so sad. If that was an essay in an exam, he wouldn’t pass. I don’t think he even answered any of our country’s questions),” she wrote.

 

 

“Anong plano? Hindi naman pwedeng tiwala lang. (What’s the plan? We can’t just trust in them blindly.)

TV personality Ethel Booba took a humorous jab at the President’s tardiness.

“Mas late ako kasi di ko naabutan pinalabas. Charot!”

 

Actress Lauren Young also expressed her dismay over the President’s infamous tardiness.

“Di na talaga ako aasa na on time si Duterte ever (I’m never going to expect Duterte to be on time ever),” she tweeted.

 

Singer Bullet Dumas wasn’t so happy either about the content of the press conference. “Parang ito lang din yung statement niya last week, (This was just like his statement last week),” he said.

 

He also joked about the abrupt cuts and edits of the video, comparing it to the editing of ABS-CBN’s action drama series, Ang Probinsyano.

 

“ANO NA 9:30 NA!!! Duterte Standard Time #TanongNgTaongBayan,” said celebrity photographer BJ Pascual.

 

When it ended, he wasn’t any less irked.

“Wait, what???? That’s it? We waited for almost 8 hours for THAT? Ano po yung plano? Paano po yung 200 Billion saan po mapupunta? (What are the plans? Where are the 200 billion pesos going?),” he added. 

He was referring to the amount the government plans to spend in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and the expected economic fallout following lockdowns over Luzon and other parts of the country. 

 

Director Kip Oebanda also called out the President’s tardiness – while also pointing out the government’s general delay in responding to the growing coronavirus crisis.

“Take your time po. Sanay kami sa late. Late travel ban sa China. Late testing. Late interventions. Late presscon. It’s not like may emergency or something,” he tweeted, followed by a smiley emoji.

“Hindi small issue ang consistent lateness ng press con. It’s a sign that they don’t respect us enough to value our time. That they can’t honor their word, of inefficiency & poor management. If they can’t be efficient in something so small, how they can be efficient in big things?”

(The lateness of the press con isn’t a small issue.) 

 

During the press conference, President Duterte thanked medical frontliners for their duty, saying that they were “lucky” that they “died for the country.” He even calling it an “honor.”

Kip didn’t take this lightly, pointing out that while our medical workers are “heroes,” their deaths are definitely a “tragedy.”

“There is no additional honor in dying because of a slow response and lack of protection. That’s not blessed or lucky, that’s a tragedy. We would rather have our heroes alive,” he tweeted.

Kip was also looking for a more detailed, concrete plan of action from the President.

“Sobrang vague naman! Walang detalye. Parang nagpaplano kayo ng bakasyon tapos gusto mo’ng malaman ang detalye kung saan, kailan ano ang dadalhin tapos ang sagot sa’yo: “Magbabakasyon tayo,’” he added.

 (It’s so vague. There are no details. It’s like when you’re planning a vacation and you want to know the details of where, when, and what to bring, and your friend just goes ‘We’re going on vacation.’) 

 

Singer Leah Navarro wasn’t too happy as well about both the wait and what she saw as a “lack of action.”

“Gosh. Almost seven hours past 4:00 p.m. in about an hour it’ll be Tuesday. Where is that Monday report? Are they cooking the books?” she tweeted.

 

Host and actress Bianca Gonzalez urged the government to release an “official detailed update” on what the P250 billion fund is being used for – an amount given to President Duterte under the special powers bill for him “to fund the requirements needed to address COVID-19.”

Under the law that grants Duterte emergency powers, he is required to submit a weekly report to Congress on how funds were used and realigned. Under Philippine law, only the legislature has the power of appropriation under normal circumstances. Duterte himself signed the bill granting him emergency powers. 

“Para lang po alam ng mga taong nangangailangan ang tulong na dumating at dadating. Please po (Just so that the people in need will know the help that has arrived and will arrive. Please),” she added.

The entire Luzon has been on an “enhanced community quarantine” since March 17 as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to spike in the Philippines. The lockdown means that businesses (save for the essentials) are closed, mass transportation is suspended, and people are advised to stay at home. Other parts of the Philippines have since been placed under lockdown as well.

An 18-page report submitted to Congress was eventually released to media the day after (or hours after) Duterte’s speech. – Rappler.com

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