The COVID-19 pandemic dictatorship under Duterte has become so evident and unmistakable despite its urgency of imposition under the cloak of health measures to prevent the spread of a coronavirus disease.
Despite the present and clear danger of the COVID-19 pandemic protocols these have to give impact on the basic human rights on the right of individuals’ autonomy, nobody from the ranks of #neveragain, #neverforget martial law did we all hear them yet shouting at the top of their lungs.
Nobody from the Philippine legislators did we all hear them yet constantly reminds the Duterte government of the so-called “individual’s right to self-determine” despite this pandemic.
Nobody from the human rights advocates did we all see them yet initiates demonstrations to pressure the government and private employers against enforced vaccinations as a despicable affront to human rights.
Instead, an early electioneering mardi gras spoils the air of urgency to address some Duterte government’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic that would positively harm the fundamentals of human rights.
What we all have seen and heard was resounding silent collaborative efforts (a euphemism for conspiracy) of all those we perceived as staunch advocates of human rights. Those vocal critics against the Marcos dictatorship were also too acrimoniously in trying hard to despicably indulge the dark history of Philippine martial law—despite the senescence of its resonance—have been seen as too silent, too apathetic to notice an interplay between this COVID-19 pandemic dictatorship and respect for individuals’ fundamental human rights.
From the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields to social distancing, travel protocols, and other oddities, the Duterte government appears as if one of the Three Stooges in a Despicable Minion Game of the World Health Organization (WHO) mandate.
Despite the Duterte government’s obedience to the god WHO imposition of these odd health protocols, the Philippines’ COVID-19 cases, with a simple Google search, are still rising with over 18,000 new cases as of Sept. 20, 2021, with a 7-day average of 19,649 cases, the COVID–19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University showed.
Why do these COVID-19 preventive protocols seem risible, anyway?
Notice that the Philippine COVID-19 cases keep on increasing despite the government’s mandatory imposition of the COVID-19 health and travel protocols, as of writing.
Notice that social distancing in everyday economic activities could in no way be followed religiously or strictly. Well, at least, the government has an alibi for why cases keep increasing.
Notice that wearing face masks, despite their controversial effectiveness unless you trusted the WHO, appeared useless as evident in the rising cases. Medical experts, the likes of Dr. Sterling Simpson—a double board-certified pulmonary specialist—dissented that wearing face masks rather posed health risks.
As cases continue to rise despite the strict implementation of the COVID-19 preventive protocols, state policing under the Duterte government has reinforced to the point of threatening non-compliance with imprisonment.
Lockdowns have become a bane rather than a boon. Vaccination campaigns have appeared dictatorial rather than a choice. Isn’t it more than dictatorship? Yet, nobody from the #neveragain, #neverforget martial law voices has to show intolerance. Rather, these folks appeared conformists to the global elite dictatorship (WHO mandate).
Reportedly, private employers mandated their workers to get vaccinated as the Duterte government’s COVID-19 task force strictly monitored and implemented 100% fully vaccinated employees. More than that, travel protocols have become more repressive to the individual’s freedom.
This coronavirus disease pandemic seemingly turns out as an opening salvo for more restrictions and state control over individual’s self-determination in the coming days—a prelude to the Biblical mark of the beast—many have brushed it aside.
Too many red flags to notice about this COVID-19 pandemic, and how the Duterte government interplays dictatorship and the common good on the pretext of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Yet, we never heard about any rhetoric from #neveragain, #neverforget martial law folks uneasy about the escalating individual’s freedom restriction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rather, these perceived “human rights advocates” prefer to seemingly continue to play electioneering tirelessly sensationalizing the Marcos martial law as if they’re holier-than-thou.
We would never again rise and redeem ourselves from the dark history and could never move forward if we continue to never forget what have had in the past. RQJ
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