Bong Go warns public against fake news on 'holiday lockdown': get information from proper authorities

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go on Monday, December 7, warned the public against false information circulating on social media claiming that a nationwide lockdown will be imposed during the holidays.

After personally leading the distribution of assistance to TODA members in Quezon City, Go strongly advised Filipinos not to believe news coming from unverified sources and instead get their information from credible sources, such as government authorities instead.

"Sa mga kababayan ko, 'wag kayo maniwala sa sinasabing lockdown na fake news. Makinig lang kayo sa mga authorized sa gobyerno, sa mga authorized spokes(persons) po kung kelan at ano po ang ating quarantine classification," Go said.

Go also berated individuals who disseminate false information, saying, "ang nagpapakalat ng fake lockdown, i-lockdown n'yo muna ang sariling bunganga n'yo. 'Di kayo nakakatulong."

On Sunday, government officials warned the public against false claims spreading on social media about a purported lockdown which will be imposed during the holidays.

National Task Force on COVID-19 (NTF) spokesperson retired Gen. Restituto Padilla asked the public to "verify or ask authorities or trusted organizations about the veracity of such information before believing and passing it around."

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque also said that information about the country's return to a stricter lockdown during the Christmas season is "fake news".

In the interview, Go also said that aside from Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and vaccine czar Presidential Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr., President Rodrigo Duterte is also willing to be injected with COVID-19 vaccine first to allay fears of the people and build confidence on its safety and efficacy.

"Gaya ng sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte noon, very much willing siyang manguna para patunayan sa Pilipino na ito ay safe na. Pero unahin muna natin na ito ay talagang i-dineklara na ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration) na safe bago natin iturok sa mga Pilipino," Go said.

He emphasized that the poor and vulnerable sectors as well as frontliners, including medical workers, uniformed personnel and teachers will be prioritized once the vaccine is proven safe and effective.

"Unahin natin ang mahihirap. 'Yung hindi nakakabili ng bakuna, dapat ang accessibility, affordability, at availability po ng vaccine ang unahin," he said.

As for the budget allotted for the procurement of the vaccine, Go said that the fund is being finalized and government will ensure it will be sufficient. He also assured that the government may explore several ways in order to secure sufficient funding for the vaccine.

"Ngayon po, pina-finalize pa po. Meron pong nakalaan para sa vaccine bagama't kulang po talaga ito. Definitely kulang talaga ang inilaan sa ating national budget kaya nga po merong iba't ibang paraan ang gagawin ng gobyerno, direct purchase, pwedeng mag-loan sa World Bank at ADB (Asian Development Bank), pwede ring tripartite sa mga businesses," Go explained.

Go also commended the private sector particularly big businesses for expressing willingness to contribute to the bayanihan efforts and ensuring sufficient supply of vaccines.

"Ang pangako nila, bibigyan nila ng kalahati ang mga empleyado nila, kalahati ido-donate nila sa gobyerno. Pwede ring multilateral loans, iba't ibang paraan," he added.