(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Sept. 21, called on the country’s health professionals to stay if possible, noting that COVID-19 “will come to pass.”
The President issued the appeal even after he announced the ban on the deployment of healthcare workers who have complete documentation as of Aug. 31 had already been lifted, which means they can leave the country to work abroad.
The government had only allowed health workers with complete documents as of March 8 to leave for their work overseas, citing the country’s urgent needs for their services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not really to offend those health workers of ours, doctors, nurses who want to go abroad to earn good money. I don’t have anything against you. But sana yung iba naman will have the spirit to serve the Filipino people because we also need help and we have a crisis also to deal with,” the President said.
According to the President, he has “but respect” for all healthcare professionals, and was not in any way “belittling” their concerns.
“But for those who want to go out, pwede na ho. Sa mga naiwan, sana tagal tagalan muna ninyo. After all this COVID-19 will pass, it will come to pass. Sigurado ako,” he said.
