-Says danger of COVID-19 spread still there even under MECQ, GCQ-
(Eagle News) – Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said his COVID-19 experience had made him to identify and “sympathize very closely” with the thousands who had been infected with the virus, and called on Filipinos to still be vigilant and mindful of health protocols as lockdowns are eased.
“I sympathize with them very closely, kasi dumaan ako doon,” he said in an exclusive interview with Eagle News Service’s radio-TV program “Agila Pilipinas” on Saturday, May 16, 2020.
-Marcos tells Filipino: “Ayaw kong pagdaanan nyo ang pinagdaanan ko”
Former Sen. Marcos said the public should now be extra careful and should not think that the eased lockdown meant that the danger of COVID-19 spread had also eased.
“Mag-ingat po kayo. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Ayaw kong pagdaanan nyo ang pinagdaanan ko,” he said in the interview aired on Radyo Agila DZEC and NET25.
At first, he said, he thought that it was just like any other flu – that you just need to take a rest, take plenty of fluids, eat nutritious food, and it will go away.
But he said after one week of bedrest and home isolation, he felt that he couldn’t breathe.
“Nung una, alam natin medyo matindi lang na trangkaso. Sabi sanay naman ako dyan. Sabi ko makukuha sa konting aspirin at konting tubig,” he said, and also had himself tested for COVID-19 and waited for results.
“Yun nga lang, after a week na nakahiga ako, hindi na ako gumagaling. Hindi na ako makahinga nang mabuti,” Mr. Marcos said in the interview by Weng dela Fuente Deimoy and Laila Tumanan of Eagle Broadcasting Corporation.
The former senator said that he had asthma and that probably explained why he had difficulty breathing.
“Ang naramdaman ko, yung tinatamaan talaga ay yung baga e,” he said, as he described how difficult it was to breathe at that time, which was why he went to the hospital immediately.
He said he followed the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines to quarantine and self-isolate for 14 days or two weeks. In all, he said, he stayed away from his family and was inside his room for about 2 months since the day he felt sick.
He said that his one fear and “nightmare scenario” was his family getting sick with COVID-19, and so he distanced himself from them.
“Siguro mga dalawang buwan akong nasa kuarto. Sa lahat ng ayaw kong mangyari ay hawaan ko pa ang pamilya ko o kung sino man,” Marcos said.
“So sabi ko, tiisin ko na lang, kaysa may magkasakit dahil sa akin.”
The former senator said that people should not be complacent now that the lockdown protocols had been eased in Luzon and other parts of the country.
-Follow DOH, other gov’t protocols-
He said that the public should follow the government’s protocols on social distancing, frequent handwashing and sanitation. People should not forget this just because they can now go out of their homes, he said.
Metro Manila, Laguna and five provinces in Central Luzon namely Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija. Pampanga, Zambales have eased into the so-called
“Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine” protocol after health experts said that the country had somehow flattened the COVID-19 curve.
The rest of the country have also been placed under General Community Quarantine where lockdown protocols have been relaxed.
As people are allowed to go out of their homes for work and other activities.
“Kung maingat tayo, ay hindi na natin dagdagan ang trabaho ng ating mga health care workers,” he said.
“Tayo ang may pinakamataas na death rate ng health care workers sa buong mundo,” Marcos noted.
He said that while the COVID-19 curve seem to be slowly flattening, and the Modified ECQ is now implemented in the country’s capital, the danger of COVID-19 transmission and further spread of infections is still there.
“Sa aking palagay, mukha namang nagfa-flatten ang curve.. Dahan-dahang nag-fa-flatten ang curve dahil sa lockdown. Yun nga lang ng nagbago na ang rules, naging modified ECQ, GCQ, parang ang interpretasyon ng ating mga kababayan ay tapos na e,” Mr. Marcos said.
-Silver lining during ECQ-
The former senator who also ran for the vice-presidency in 2016 said that during the ECQ, many people had also realized the things which are really important – which is to be with one’s family and loved ones.
“Silver lining na lang ito. Ang mga tao nabalik sa katotohanan at iniisip na kung ano ba talaga ang mahalaga — kung paano mabuhay, kung paano makapiling ang pamilya, kung paano makatulong sa may sakit, kung paano makatulong sa ating frontliners,” he said.
(Eagle News Service)
