Majority of Pinoys say gov't response vs. virus 'adequate'

MANILA – Majority of Filipinos said the government's response against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is “adequate”, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The SWS national mobile phone survey conducted from Sept. 17 to 20 showed that 71 percent of the Filipinos replied that the government actions to inform the public on how to fight Covid-19 are adequate with 34 percent of them answered “very adequate”.

The pollster said 22 percent of the 1,249 interviewed adult Filipinos found the government actions “inadequate” while only 6 percent are undecided.

“This gives a net adequacy scored of +49,” the SWS said in survey results released Saturday ni ght .

By area, net adequacy is higher in Mindanao (+ 52) and the Visayas (+ 51) than in Balance Luzon (+ 47) and Metro Manila (+ 45), it added.

On ensuring that there will be an extensive contact tracing, the SWS said 67 percent appreciated the government actions as adequate while 23 percent said it is inadequate and 9 percent were undeci ded.

The government actions to ensure that the affordable Covid-19 testing is adequate got 54 percent approval while 33 percent found them inadequate and 11 percent undecided.

Meanwhile, the government actions to provide help to the jobless received the lower score after only 44 percent of the respondents found them adequate and 46 percent said they are inadequate and 9 percent undecided.

personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in order to create “media spectacle.”

“The BJMP jail officers assigned to escort Nasino were insulted, harassed and verbally abused by leftist groups aligned with Ms. Nasino. Truth be told, it was the leftist groups who caused the tension during the wake when they suddenly vented their ire on the BJMP officers who were just doing their jobs,” Malaya said in a statement. “The intent of the group in the wake was clearly to provoke the jail officers in order to create a media spectacle, hog the headlines, and portray the BJMP and the government, by extension, as heartless and insensitive to the plight of Nasino,” he added.

Malaya maintained that the jail guards, who escorted Nasino in the wake as ordered by the court, acted with professionalism, restraint, and integrity despite the provocation, insults, and harassment they faced from the critical crowd. “What was supposed to be a solemn occasion for a mother to peacefully grieve (over) the death of her daughter was intentionally turned into a media spectacle at the clear instigation of these leftist groups,” he said.

“We commiserate and condole with Ms. Nasino and respect her right to grieve the death of her daughter. However, we condemn in the strongest terms the acts of these leftist groups that placed the security of Ms. Nasino and the lives of our jail officers at risk,” he added.

Malaya also clarified that Nasino is not a political prisoner as she was arrestedforillegalpossessionoffirearmsandexplosives.(AP/ThirdAnne Per al t a-M al on zo)