“For those who are loitering outside… prepare your last will and two million pesos for your hospital bills!”
This was the advice of a visibly exasperated Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio when she called out residents who continue to defy the city’s restrictions on unnecessary movements under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
The city reported residents who are neither workers nor buying for essential goods going out of their residences on the first Monday of the GCQ.
The city was placed under GCQ starting May 16.
“Sa tanang nanggawas diha nga nagsuroy-suroy, nga wala nipalit og pagkaon o tambal, niadto sa bangko o sa doctor, ug dili padulong sa trabaho nila—mag andam na sila sa ilang last will ug 2 Million pesos para sa inyong hospital bills. (For those who are loitering outside, not buying food or medicine, going to the banks or their doctors, going to work—prepare your last will and two million pesos for your hospital bills),” the mayor said over the city’s Disaster Radio.
She added that a mass grave will be readied anytime in case crematoriums in the city will not be able to accommodate the cadavers of those who died from Covid-19.
“Kung mangamatay mo, modiretso mo sa cremation, kung daghan na kaayo ang mamatay, diretso ka didto sa mass grave (If you die, you will be cremated, if bodies will pile up, you go into the mass grave),” she said.
On the other hand, Duterte-Carpio admitted that the city’s Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) has not yet reported any individual testing positive from Covid-19 due to violating ECQ and GCQ guidelines.
Duterte-Carpio has said in the past that the city government will not shoulder the medical expenses of those who tested positive from COVID-19 by violating the quarantine protocols. She added that if they die from the virus, the city will also now shoulder their cremation expenses.
As of 5 p.m. of May 18, Davao City has reported 193 confirmed cases, 92 recoveries and 22 deaths. (Rommel F. Lopez)