Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has hit back at Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, saying that the latter has “done nothing at all” to fight the dreaded COVID-19.
“Instead of looking for ways to help in this fight during this pandemic, we have a [DFA secretary] who dips his finger on anything he thinks he is bright enough to make a nasty comment,” Treñas said in a statement.
“Life is what we experience in the here and now, not your cellphone for Twitter or Facebook. We deal with real lives, sir – not cellphones or laptops. You, my dear sir, have done nothing at all! Nada!”
Treñas issued the statement after Locsin criticized him in a now-deleted post on social media site Twitter.
Locsin retweeted a news report by GMA News where Treñas said that the surge in COVID-19 cases in the city may have been caused by the “carelessness” of some of his constituents.
“How come Treñas can blame his constituents of carelessness, of being pasaway — that ugly word — and get away with it? Because of opposition hypocrisy,” the DFA secretary said.
In a separate statement, Treñas clarified that he was not blaming his constituents.
“Teddy Boy Locsin, we take care of our constituents the best way we can. I have not blamed my constituents since we continue to look for ways and means to flatten the curve,” he said.
“I know you do not know how to work in the LGU since you have never run a city. Iloilo city is much better than what you think because here, we all work together,” the mayor added.
The city, which has more than 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, is currently under MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine).
Last Saturday, Sept. 26, Treñas said they would request to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to downgrade the city’s status GCQ (general community quarantine).IMT
