Senate President Sotto III wants NCR back to ECQ due to public hard-headedness

Senate President Vicente Sotto III is advocating for the National Capital Region (NCR) to be placed back under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to public "hard-headedness" contributing to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

He retracted his previous statements blaming health protocols and instead pointed to people disregarding safety measures like not wearing masks, engaging in drinking sessions, and partying.

His statement came after 121 individuals were arrested in a Makati City bar for violating physical distancing and overcrowding rules while the area was under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Sotto clarified that his remarks were due to frustration over people's complacency and ignorance of the pandemic's threat.

However, he acknowledged that the government can no longer impose ECQ anew due to the country's suffering economy.

He proposed that the government should be selective and retain GCQ in some areas of the NCR.

Senators had previously expressed concern over the World Health Organization's (WHO) report identifying the Philippines as having the fastest surge of COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific region, despite one of the world's longest lockdowns.

Sotto also maintained that the government should fix delays in its COVID-19 testing program and contact tracing efforts.