Rappler
Frontliners not the enemy: Filipinos decry Duterte’s contempt for medical community
Medical workers urged government officials to collaborate with them in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, despite President Rodrigo Duterte's negative reaction to their appeal for a review of the country's response.
Duterte had previously expressed anger towards the medical community's request to reimpose stricter quarantine measures and even challenged them to start a revolution.
Dr. Jose Santiago Jr., President of the Philippine Medical Association, clarified that their appeal was solely to revert to an enhanced community quarantine and emphasized that COVID-19 is the only enemy.
The health sector issued a distress signal due to the overwhelming surge in COVID-19 cases, warning that they were nearing the end of their capacity after months of being on the frontlines.
This appeal came after numerous medical associations highlighted the strain on the country's health systems and the perceived loss in the battle against the pandemic.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
A group of doctors clarified that their call for a "time out" or a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila was not a call for revolt or a threat to abandon patients.
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President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged the exhaustion of medical front-liners amid the surge in coronavirus cases and encouraged them to continue their work for the people.
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President Rodrigo Duterte challenged medical societies to start a revolution against him following their public criticism of his administration's COVID-19 response.
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President Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet are reviewing an appeal from medical front-liners to reimpose a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.
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President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to reconsider placing Metro Manila under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
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