Image courtesy of Ted Pylon/Facebook
The Department of Health (DOH) tagged the statement of lawyer Larry Gadon that wearing face masks cannot control the transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as “misinformation,” reminding the public that the current situation is “not a joking matter.”
Gadon, a pro-administration lawyer who earned the spotlight on social media in 2018 after calling the supporters of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno “bobo” (stupid) in Baguio City. He later on claimed that he didn’t mind being disbarred for such behavior. He became again the laughing stock on social media after he was seen wearing his face mask inappropriately.
A picture of Gadon with his surgical mask taped inside his face shield, instead of wearing it, drew flak on social media. He said that he does not believe in the effectiveness of face masks in curbing the transmission of Covid-19, and that the government was only “overreacting” to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the DOH was unimpressed at all with Gadon’s latest “comedic” exhibition.
“Unang-unang, this is not a joking matter. Alam ng mga tao lahat merong namamatay, merong nagkakasakit, nagsu-suffer ang economy, and the only way for us to fight and to overcome this situation is lahat tayo magtutulungan,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire expressed in an online media forum.
“’Yung mga ganitong statement is not helping us at all,” she added.
Vergeire advised Gadon and other personalities to be more careful with their remarks regarding the pandemic as they might spread wrong information to the public.
Wearing of face masks in public has been a protocol of the DOH to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country. According to Vergeire, wearing the mandatory face mask can prevent Covid-19 infection by up to 85%, and if physical distancing and wearing of face shield are observed, prevention can increase to up to 99%.
She advised the public to only believe the advice of health professionals.
“Sana po makinig lang po tayo sa accurate information, sa tamang information. This is not a joking matter so sana po lahat ng tao maintindihan nila kung ano ang magiging implikasyon kapag nagsasalita sila in public because people might be following them,” Vergeire said. RJ Espartinez