By Argyll Geducos
President Duterte said he had nothing to do with the move of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to summon Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto for allegedly violating the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act--a measure that took effect after Sotto's supposed violation.
Duterte made the statement after the NBI required Sotto to appear at their office on April 7 to respond to allegations that he violated the recently-passed law that deals with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a public address aired late Friday night, President Duterte said he only spoke once about local government units (LGUs) but never called them out again after he asked LGUs to strictly implement the measures issued by the national government.
"Sabi ko, 'wag ito, 'wag doon. Pagkatapos noon, wala na. Nandito lang ako," he said.
(I just mentioned the things they should and should not do. After that, I never talked about it again. I was just here.)
"Wala akong pakialam sa operation ng NBI kung ano ang gusto nila. Karamihan diyan mga abogado 'yan."
(I do not care about how the NBI operates or what they want to do. Most of them are lawyers.)
Duterte said it was not his job to probe LGUs because he was only in charge of creating policies that would address the pandemic.
"Wala akong... 'Wag kayong mag... Hindi ako... Trabaho ng pulis 'yan. Ang akin policy," he said.
(I have nothing to do with that. That's the job of the police. Mine is policy.)
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has assailed the NBI for summoning Sotto over his supposed violation of quarantine protocols, calling the move a "useless political distraction."
Sotto earned the DILG's ire when he allowed the limited operation of tricycles in his city to help health workers and patients with urgent needs. Transportation in the whole of Luzon is suspended while it is under enhanced community quarantine.
A day after Sotto appealed to the national government to reconsider the use of tricycles, President Duterte, in a public address last month, reminded LGUs to not go overboard and to just strictly enforce the national government's measures against COVID-19.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7t3scm
Duterte made the statement after the NBI required Sotto to appear at their office on April 7 to respond to allegations that he violated the recently-passed law that deals with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a public address aired late Friday night, President Duterte said he only spoke once about local government units (LGUs) but never called them out again after he asked LGUs to strictly implement the measures issued by the national government.
"Sabi ko, 'wag ito, 'wag doon. Pagkatapos noon, wala na. Nandito lang ako," he said.
(I just mentioned the things they should and should not do. After that, I never talked about it again. I was just here.)
"Wala akong pakialam sa operation ng NBI kung ano ang gusto nila. Karamihan diyan mga abogado 'yan."
(I do not care about how the NBI operates or what they want to do. Most of them are lawyers.)
Duterte said it was not his job to probe LGUs because he was only in charge of creating policies that would address the pandemic.
"Wala akong... 'Wag kayong mag... Hindi ako... Trabaho ng pulis 'yan. Ang akin policy," he said.
(I have nothing to do with that. That's the job of the police. Mine is policy.)
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has assailed the NBI for summoning Sotto over his supposed violation of quarantine protocols, calling the move a "useless political distraction."
Sotto earned the DILG's ire when he allowed the limited operation of tricycles in his city to help health workers and patients with urgent needs. Transportation in the whole of Luzon is suspended while it is under enhanced community quarantine.
A day after Sotto appealed to the national government to reconsider the use of tricycles, President Duterte, in a public address last month, reminded LGUs to not go overboard and to just strictly enforce the national government's measures against COVID-19.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7t3scm