Still, because trial and error is limited and monitoring of people at risk is limited, the Philippine public
fitness machine remains unable to efficiently suppress the spread of the virus, at least from a healthcare
perspective. . The inadequacy of the authorities' response becomes even more apparent when one
considers the stories of neighboring international locations in the Western Pacific along with South Korea,
Singapore and New Zealand. These international locations have controlled to manipulate and suppress
the transmission of COVID19 without relying closely on draconian measures or issuing extended bans. For
Mendoza (2020), the gradual response of the United States, vulnerable institutions, dependence on prison
sentences and the use of the police and the army as a "magic bullet" effectively prevented the Philippines
from using the "scalpel" to fight the pandemic and just left the United States of America. United States of
America with an "ax" as the main tool to fight the virus.
The use of this metaphorical ax came with the criminalization of behaviors that do not agree with the
minimum aptitude requirements of the authorities and various protocols, and with the arrest of
offenders. These were achieved in conjunction with what General Carlito Gálvez (Retired), the main
executor of the national coverage of COVID19, calls the most important element of the Philippine National
Action Plan for COVID19; in other words, ensuring compliance with and monitoring of those closest to the
minimum standards of physical fitness10. Gálvez reiterated that the plan is based primarily on "changing
the way [people] assume that the fulfillment of our marketing campaign is based primarily on the
support of people." and active participation and
vigilance to maintain and strictly promote minimal fitness and the prevention of disorders. Several agency
employees also emphasized the importance of cooperation and the human area. Even Vince Dizon, the
so-called "Look to the Tsar" stated that "the biggest critical step to contain COVID19 is the antiquated
ideal area" (Panti, 2020). The population area is more critical than testing, monitoring and restocking
fitness equipment and numerous technologies. For the president, failing to meet the minimum fitness
requirements is "an extreme crime." In a televised agreement with the nation, Duterte kept everyone
interested as he said, “We should ask our police to be more strict. [Violators] are arrested. A little
embarrassment would make them disappear forever. [...] that could teach you a lesson forever ”(Office
of Presidential Communications Operations, 2020c). Local governments quickly added their own
reinforced compliance measures to ensure that 4,444 minimum proficiency requirements were met. In
Quezon City, for example, the neighborhood authority has issued a memorandum imposing heavy fines
on violators or even allowing the wrong people to be detained without a warrant. Similar measures have
been taken in several cities in the Philippines, highlighting the area and arresting the Pasaways first.