A shame campaign for pandemic stubborn Pinoys suggests by DILG exec

An official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) suggested a shame campaign against Filipinos who do not wear masks and patients who will refuse to undergo quarantine at government facilities amid the pandemic.

Photo credit: philstar.com

It would be right that the public know the status of their neighbors who could be positive or asymptomatic for COVID-19 said DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño.

He added that he believes it is right to have a shame campaign as coronavirus is not a joke.

However, the spokesman for the DILG turned down Diño’s pronouncement and said that this does not reflect the official policy of the government. 

“No, we will not do a shame campaign because we have to protect the rights of the patient as well. If he did say that, I think he’s only expressing his personal opinion,” the spokesman for the DILG said in a text message.

Diño said during the radio interview that being COVID-19 positive should not be kept a secret so that the public would not have a chance to socialize with infected persons, supposedly in a bid to prevent further community transmission, the driving force behind the surge in recent cases.

Diño also said that Oplan Kalinga, a house-to-house campaign that seeks to transfer COVID-19-positive individuals from their homes to quarantine facilities, will also serve as an awareness campaign. However, it garnered a lot of criticism.

Under the Oplan Kalinga program, mild and asymptomatic COVID cases will be transferred to a government quarantine facility if their houses are not conducive to home quarantine.

He added that it may help neighbors of people with COVID-19 to take more precautions against the virus.

He assured the public that barangay and city health workers will lead Oplan Kalinga, while state law enforcers would only be there to assist them during the transfer.