The fiddler on the roof

In his 2016 inaugural address, President Duterte said, “No leader, however strong, can succeed at anything of national importance or significance unless he has the support and cooperation of the people he is tasked to lead and sworn to serve. It is the people from whom democratic governments draw strength and this administration is no exception. That is why we have to listen to the murmurings of the people, feel their pulse, supply their needs and fortify their faith and trust in us whom they elected to public office.”

Has he forgotten all these? He continued by saying, “Erosion of faith and trust in government – that is the real problem that confronts us. Resulting therefrom, I see the erosion of the people’s trust in our country’s leaders; the erosion of faith in our judicial system; the erosion of confidence in the capacity of our public servants to make the people’s lives better, safer and healthier. Indeed, ours is a problem that dampens the human spirit. But all is not lost.”

When the President spoke five years ago, the people listened. Only a few did not. He was in touch and the people were hopeful that things would change for the better. Today, he has lost touch with the pulse of the nation. The pandemic easily shook his administration. The lockdown allowed the people to closely observe every move of the government. Unpopular moves were made that dampened the hearts and minds of many Filipinos, leading to frustration and discouragement.

What happened? Why does Malacañang now sound angry, defensive and evasive? When asked about an issue, whether on COVID-19, the West Philippine Sea or even the traffic in EDSA, responses or information given seem calculated and suppressed. Is the goal to silence the people or keep us in the dark?

Today, the Administration is cleaning up before the elections. Disgruntled and dissatisfied with their performance for the past five years, they now want more time to lead the country. Forgetting or ignoring what is written under the Constitution. Sanamagan!

These past few months, we often find the President fiddling, restless, passing time aimlessly without achieving anything that would make our lives better, making controversial remarks and confusing the people with mixed signals. I think by now the people have learned to take everything he says with a grain of salt. He should stop his games. It is unbecoming of a leader. By the way, is his daughter following suit? Is she part of his grand plan? Abangan!

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So what happened to the great debate on the use of Ivermectin? After the President ordered the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Department of Health (DOH) to study the use of Ivermectin, they said that there was no need for local studies as there were already ongoing trials abroad whose results can help the country make an informed decision on the use of the drug.

People are desperately seeking help and guidance. In a desperate move to protect oneself from COVID-19, many have already taken Ivermectin without any hesitation. When it’s a matter of life or death, you don’t think twice. You just take whatever is there that you think will protect you, even if it will just give you a placebo effect.

What’s the point? Why can’t government help explain clearly the use of Ivermectin to the people? Why are they so vague on the issue? One cannot help but wonder if there is something more beyond sounding the alarm on the use of the drug.

Upon reviewing the available data, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded in March 2021: “The evidence on whether Ivermectin reduces mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, need for hospital admission and time to clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients is of ‘very low certainty’ due to ‘the small sizes and methodological limitations of available trial data, including a small number of events’.”

In the same month, the European Medicines Agency also advised against using Ivermectin for the general population owing to the lack of scientific proof of its efficacy. The US Food and Drug Administration adopted a similar position in May 2021. Scientific societies such as the Infectious Diseases Society of America reviewed the data, focusing on the clinical studies and trials of higher quality. They too recommended “against Ivermectin for the treatment of outpatients with COVID-19, unless in the context of a clinical trial” and added, “well-designed, adequately powered and well-executed clinical trials are needed to inform decisions on treating COVID-19 with Ivermectin.”

Contrary to all the warnings from different groups, a peer-reviewed research has claimed that global Ivermectin use can end the COVID-19 pandemic. The research is said to be the most comprehensive review of studies, manuscripts, expert meta-analyses and epidemiological analyses of regions that showed Ivermectin as an effective prophylaxis and treatment for COVID-19. The review was conducted by a group of medical and scientific experts that included three US government senior scientists and was published in the American Journal of Therapeutics.

There have been reports that South Africa, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Mexico have approved the use of the drug. Ivermectin has already been adopted by 25 percent of the world’s countries to prevent and treat COVID-19.

If Ivermectin had an effect in curbing the spread of COVID-19, by now we should be seeing limited cases in countries that officially recommended this drug. Peru recommended Ivermectin for mild COVID-19 as early as May 2020. Official support for this drug also occurred in other countries in Latin America. However, these countries have experienced multiple waves of COVID-19 cases and deaths throughout 2020 and 2021 despite the use of Ivermectin. Peru, however, withdrew its recommendation in March 2021.

In the Philippines, experimental treatment for COVID-19, oral Ivermectin has been allowed by the FDA only on two instances: (1) if the medical facility dispensing the drug secured a compassionate special permit or (2) if a doctor has prescribed it and the drug is compounded by a pharmacist according to the prescription.

So, what now? Do we really need to wait for a prescription in order to take Ivermectin? I’m sure government already knows the underground market it has around the country. So what now?