For whom the bill tolls

AS a result of the pandemic, we have accumulated so many bills. We are now confronted with electric bills, internet bills and even pending bills in the legislative. Our bank notes or peso bills are also affected. Funny but it also reminded me of Quentin Tarantino’s epic “Kill Bill.”

Press freedom is the most dangerous mask. It defames the integrity of helpless and innocent victims like us.

Freedom of the press should not be abused. It is never a license to be above the law.

As much as we want to stay and work from home, our homes are sick and tired of our faces that they want to move somewhere else.

Do we have to vandalize landmarks, monuments, hate, hurt and kill each other just to say “Black lives matter”?

I am just wondering why Dr. Anthony Fauci has not yet resigned, considering that his principal is always saying the opposite of what he is saying.

The Heartbeat of Pegasus stopped. Air Force One is grounded. Ting is not Jolly anymore.

We commend New Zealand’s leadership, and we also praise the dedication and discipline of its citizens. After 24 days with no new cases of the coronavirus, New Zealand reported that now it has two. Both are women from the same family and traveled from the United Kingdom via Australia. This is the kind of transparency we want.

I have only one Facebook account and only one face. Please don’t accept a friend request from me. It could be me.

Let me reprint portions of a public statement of the Baguio City mayor. It is a shining example for all elected public officials: “June 7, 2020

“There is utmost need to reassert the policy position of the city government, that no one, regardless of rank and position, is exempted from the established and long-held health and safety protocols when entering the city. I reiterate this as an uncompromising measure for everyone, whether of public or private status, to comply with the city’s border control checkpoints upon entry into Baguio boundaries, to ensure that no one is put to undue health risk while in the city.

“This policy is strongly reiterated in view of an apparent violation of existing health protocols by a group of visiting officials led by San Juan City, Metro Manila Mayor Francis Zamora — ignoring the border control checkpoint at Kennon Road, and proceeding to their place of destination — Baguio Country Club (BCC) — without their having to undergo the mandatory triage health examination.

“Zamora arrived at the Kennon Road quarantine checkpoint around 2:30 p.m. of June 5 on board a convoy of six vehicles, with uniformed personnel inside. When his group was flagged down for inspection, the driver of the lead vehicle just slowed down a bit, and merely told the checkpoint personnel that he was part of a convoy, pointing out the vehicles tailing his police car, then forthwith sped off with the mayor’s entourage in tow.

“Accordingly, checkpoint personnel radioed the Baguio City Police Office traffic operations center about the incident and followed the Zamora vehicles to the BCC. “Upon arrival, the group was asked for the required medical health clearance, but since none was presented, it was politely told to undergo triage examination. Considering that they were already at their destination, medical personnel from the City Health Service Office (CHSO) were dispatched to the country club to set up the triage facility, purposely to ensure that containment and isolation, if needed, were done.

“From this narration of facts, it can be reasonably sensed that Baguio’s health and safety protocols have been violated and the regulatory mechanism of quarantine check and triage examination at the Kennon facility was not followed.

“To his credit, Zamora took the effort to inform me about this incident and apologized for the serious lapse on the part of his police escorting officer. He expressed deep regrets that while asleep in his car at the time, the Philippine National Police escort leading his convoy mindlessly took it on his own to ignore what has long been a standard border protection measure prescribed in our own city.

“It is clear that the San Juan City- based police officer who served as lead escort of his city mayor’s convoy committed a serious breach of standing quarantine protocols. I was in Metro Manila at the time, but I gave stern instructions to my office staff and the city health authorities to see to it that the visiting mayor’s group, including Zamora himself, go through triage examination, for containment purposes should anyone tested positive for the virus. Quick action on the part of the CHSO led to the installation of the triage at the former’s facility to ensure that the procedure will be conducted and to minimize the movement of members of the entourage before they were properly checked.

“I am confident that appropriate steps are forthcoming for this breach of health quarantine protocols, even more so in ensuring that absolutely no one, with or without rank, be allowed to transgress safety measures put in place to keep everyone out of harm[‘s way].

“Let this incident of avoidable mistakes and lapses in judgment serve to make us even steadfast to keep Baguio at zero or less health risk as possible.

“Benjamin B. Magalong, Mayor, Baguio City”

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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.