Senator told: Shut your mouth

We pray that the dreaded coronavirus does not get to you. You may not find competent doctors and nurses left to attend to you nor a hospital that can accommodate you

Former Tourism Secretary Narzalina Lim on Tuesday slammed Sen. Cynthia Villar for her numerous statements belittling workers after she recently told health frontliners to “work harder” as they appealed for a two-week timeout.

“They better do their job well. We cannot close the economy. If they don’t die of COVID-19, they’ll die of hunger,” Villar said on the health workers’ appeal to revert Metro Manila to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

In a letter, Lim said the senator’s statements were “heartless and insensitive,” and that they lacked respect for the medical community despite their physical and mental exhaustion as they attended to COVID-19 cases for a long stretch now.

She also said that this was not the first time Villar made denigrating remarks citing her statements against farmers, middle-class workers, and among nurses in the Philippines.

Lim advised the Senator to refrain from making pronouncements and interviews if her statements are “nothing kind or intelligent.”

“We, taxpayers, who pay your salary, find it distressing during this time of crisis, to hear nothing but words that belittle and divide, not uplift and inspire the Filipino,” she said.

She also warned Villar to be wary that because of her recent statements, medical workers may be reluctant in providing treatment.

“We pray that the dreaded coronavirus does not get to you. You may not find competent doctors and nurses left to attend to you nor a hospital that can accommodate you. Remember, money cannot buy everything,” Lim said.

Asked for comment on Lim’s letter, Villar’s office refused to respond as the lawmaker already issued a statement clarifying her remarks on the plea of medical workers.

Villar earlier clarified that her statements were pointed at government officials and not the medical frontliners.