Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced two things yesterday, July 15. First, he wanted everyone to know that the COVID-19 infection curve has been “flattened” since April. And second, after retracting his earlier statement, that it was actually bent (and we can learn to love again).
Everyone was quick to make memes regarding his error but President Tito Sotto wanted to pull a funny one by saying, “Baka fatten the curve ang ibig niyang sabihin. Daming tumaba.”
Cue “Eat Bulaga” laughing track here. Please y’all, control your laughter.
Sotto dropped his ill-timed joke after Duque claimed that we have “successfully” flattened the curve. Well, “bent” and now “lumiko lang [ang curve]. “Hindi naman talaga flattened [ang curve], ‘yun ‘yung gusto kong ilinaw. Lumiko lang. Nagkamali ako doon kaya ‘yun ang gusto kong linawin,” says Duque in his ABS-CBN Teleradyo interview.
However, the Senate President’s quip was in stark contrast to his colleagues who were not here to lighten the mood with fat-shaming comments. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri commented “only thing that is flat are the backs of all the poor patients in fully occupied [COVID-19] wards all around Metro Manila fighting for their lives!” As for Sen. Risa Hontiveros, she advised Duque to “look at the DOH (Department of Health) data with brutal honesty.”
Like what our sisters from Preen said, there’s so much guilt-tripping on body image during this pandemic. It doesn’t help that folks are urging others to use a global crisis to be “productive.” Newsflash, this pandemic isn’t a body detox getaway.
Sotto didn’t follow up his “fatten the curve” comment as of writing. Rest assured, we’ll be given an excuse around the “issa prank” area.
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Art by Rogin Losa